Let's Get Quizzical
by HeartofDowntonCEC
Summary: Charles and Elsie are acquaintances who, through shared friends, are on the same "quiz team" that competes at the local pub. They have always been friendly and have gotten along well, but Elsie doesn't know that Charles has been in love with her from the moment he met her. The only problem is that Charles doesn't think he is good enough for Elsie, due to something he cant control.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello. I have a dear friend to shared a story with me and it gave me some ideas to write a new Chelsie fic. I cannot promise that I will update regularly, but I will sure try. Gosh, I wish I owned Downton, but alas, I do not, so I must dabble with stories of my OTP instead. _**

She laughed, a hearty, loud, belly laugh, throwing her head back, uninhibited. When she brought her chin back down, her eyes were glistening, tears threatening to fall because whatever she was laughing at was so funny. He had no idea what it was. He couldn't hear over the loud music and constant chatter going on around him at the pub. He watches her, still giggling and invested in the conversation with a few from their friend group. In truth, he was mesmerized by her, but he kept that hidden in his heart. He wasn't good enough, and he couldn't burden her with his troubles.

They were waiting for the next round of questions for quiz night at the local. In the meantime, a few of them went to the bar to get a round of drinks, while others used the opportunity to quickly run to the loo. As Charles was making his way back, that's when he heard her laugh, and noticed her in a semicircle with some of the others, awaiting their drinks. He stopped dead and stared, taking in her beauty and elegance. Once the group had gotten ahold of themselves after whatever was said to put them into hysterics, she glanced over and saw him. He immediately snapped out of his reverie and walked over to join them, hoping she didn't catch him out. He sidled up to the end of the bar and waited for the bartender to come over while the rest of them grabbed their drinks and made their way back to the table.

"I already got you one, Charles," yelled their friend Rob. Charles nodded and walked over to join them, sitting at the opposite end of the table as Elsie. "We're taking this next round, for certain," Rob yelled out, holding his beer up and then taking a sip.

"Here, here," yelled a few of them and then they drank, getting organized and prepared for the last round. Their team, "_Let's Get Quizzical_", was pretty solid. They had been competing once a month for the last few years at the local pub, a group of friends gathered from all different places. Charles became a part of the team due to his friendship with Rob. They were mates from school and had always kept in contact over the years. Elsie became a member by way of her connection to Cora, Rob's wife. They had met through a friend when they were all volunteering for a local charity. Both being from out of town, they hit it off right away, commiserating over being considered 'outsiders' to the culture, Cora being from America and Elsie from Scotland.

The announcer spoke up through the microphone, giving all of the teams a minute to get organized and focused. "Okay, everybody, okay," Elsie said, waving her hands in the air and trying to get her team ready. "We are one of the top teams right now, we can't blow this," she said excitedly.

"I can't believe you knew the answer to that question," Elsie said, shaking her head as they walked out of the pub. "Who actually knows the answer to what the BBC did on Good Friday in 1930, I ask you?" she said, laughing.

Charles chuckled along with her. "I remember my grandparents talking about it once when I was a boy. We were on our way to the market to get provisions for Easter dinner on a Good Friday and they were reminiscing. They couldn't believe the BBC said 'there was no news!' According to my grandfather, there was always news! Instead, apparently, they played piano music all day, so naturally my grandmother loved it," he explained as he walked her over to her car.

"You are a wealth of information, Charles Carson, and we have your grandparents and your excellent memory to thank for getting us into the semi-finals next week," Elsie replied, searching for her keys in her pocket book. Charles was about to respond with something about how it was a team effort, but Elsie cut him off. "Now don't give me any of that self-deprecating crap about it not being you, or it was a team effort. You know very well you carry this team and that's that," she said as she pushed the button to unlock her door and Charles leaned to open it for her with his left hand, tucking his right hand into his pocket.

Charles took a deep breath as the wind carried her sweet scent by him, trying to take enough of it in to last him through the night. That scent, for him, would always signify _Elsie Hughes_ to him. All he wanted to do was to grab Elsie Hughes at that moment, kiss her deeply, and tell her how much he wanted her, needed her. He had to push away the sensation and shook his head. "Well," he said as she put her purse in the car and turned to him, "I'll not argue with you, given your Scottish stubbornness and all."

Elsie's eyes got big, but she laughed it off. "Coming from someone else I might fight back, but I'll let you get away with that one, Charlie," she laughed, leaning in to give him a quick hug. "Now, I'll say goodnight. Thank you for your chivalry in making sure I got to my car safely," she said, getting in. He stood there as she started her car to make sure everything was okay and he thought about the fact that she had just called him Charlie. No one called him Charlie. Maybe when he was a boy, but since he started secondary school, he had always been known as Charles. Did she do that to get back at him, or as a term of endearment? His thoughts were broken when she rolled her window down and said, "And by the way, Allie was making eyes at you tonight from across the table…" she raised her eyebrows and smirked as she drove away.

Charles was dumbfounded. Where did that come from? Yes, he knew the newsgirl flirted with him at times, but he had no idea that anyone else had noticed. Apparently Elsie had, but what did that mean? Did it mean she was paying attention because she was interested, or was she trying to prompt him forward as a friend? He wished he could tell her that he didn't have eyes for anyone but her, but again he went back to the notion deep down in his heart that he wasn't good enough for her. He was damaged, and what would she want with a damaged man? He loved her, everything about her, but he wouldn't let himself go there, not with his ailments. She deserved the best, and that was not him.


	2. Chapter 2

As Elsie was hauling a box full of clothes over to the rack, she yelled over to Cora, "This one is a bit too heavy, I'm afraid. Can you help me out when you get a second?" Cora was just finishing with a mother and her young children and after saying goodbye, she walked over.

"This was quite the donation," Cora commented, leaning down to help Elsie with the box.

"Aye," Elsie concurred, "but I'll not complain about it, not with the quality of clothing in this box. The parkas alone have to be worth an absolute fortune!" she said as she finished pushing the box into the open space. As she stood up she took a deep breath and made eye contact with Cora. They both started laughing. "I know, I know, better up my workouts," Elsie said, rolling her eyes. "However, it's hard to get there, what with work and the time I spend here. I don't know how you do it with being married, your girls, a family."

Cora shook her head. "I just do. That's it. I hope you're not putting off dating or finding someone special on account of your time spent here. It's doable, Elsie; it's all about time management, believe me," she said as they made their way to the front of the room. "We've done a fantastic job with this place, and that includes getting a great amount of volunteers to help us out, which should give you more time to be social!" Elsie just listened as Cora talked. It was true, they had done a great job with the Community Closet. They had collected innumerable amounts of clothing, hygiene items, school supplies, and other necessities for the less fortunate in their area. People could come and shop there for what they needed and the only requirement was that they were a member of the community and that when they were able and back on their feet, they returned the favor and volunteered some of their time to help out. It was a great system and they had been given many accolades from the mayor and council leaders.

"I know, I know," Elsie replied. "You know the story...I'm reluctant to 'get back out there', so to speak. That last bloke I dated turned out to be a philandering asshole," she said. "And then Joe before that, coming down from Scotland, trying to rekindle the old flame just to have someone to cook his dinners and take care of his bairns. I felt bad for him, right enough, losing his wife like that, but to not have any spark and want to settle, I just couldn't. I don't know, Cora, maybe this life of mine is meant to be spent doing things for others."

Cora hesitated for a moment and then looked Elsie straight in the eye. "What about Charles?" she asked quietly. "You two seem to make a perfect pair. And didn't you go out once before?" she inquired.

Elsie waited a moment before responding, taking a deep, frustrated breath and then said, "Well, I thought so at one point, but it seems he just wants to be friends." She thought for a moment then said, "I'd rather have him as my friend, than nothing at all."

As she said this, she was transported back to almost a year ago, after their quiz night when everyone was hanging about, enjoying drinks and conversation…

_Cora noticed that Elsie and Charles were locked in deep conversation. She elbowed Robert and he looked over, shook his head a bit, then put his arm around his wife and turned her around. "Let them be, my dear," he said, walking in the opposite direction._

_There was clear elation on Charles' face. "Oooooh, I love that band!" Elsie squealed. "I didn't even realize anyone else knew who they were until I tried to get tickets for their show at The Sitting Room. They were sold out! Can you believe it?" she asked, incredulous._

_Charles hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, I can," Charles replied. "I got two tickets of my own right when they opened up purchasing options." _

"_You didn't!" Elsie exclaimed. "Good for you! I'm infinitely jealous. You'll have to let me know how the show is after you see them," she replied, showing clear excitement for Charles. _

_He thought for a moment, went to speak, hesitated, cleared his throat, then said nervously, "Would you like to go with me? I was going to drag Robert or John along, but seeing as you actually appreciate and know the music, I'd venture to say you'd be a better plus one than them. I mean, only if you wanted to, and…" Charles began to stutter. He had been admiring Elsie from the moment he met her, had interacted with her many times at get togethers and gatherings, quiz nights and the times he'd volunteered at The Community Closet. But to be with her alone, without everyone else around, no buffers, made him both ecstatic and tremendously nervous at the same time. _

_She mercifully ended his stuttering by saying "YES" loudly! "Of course I'll go, Charles! I'd love to see them live and enjoy the music with you," she said, smiling. "Are you sure?" she asks, wanting him to be certain that indeed, he wanted her to be there with him._

_He didn't tell her that he was more sure than anything, that this is what he always wanted, the two of them sharing their time together. Him, alone, with the beautiful, intriguing, beguiling Elsie Hughes. He simply nodded and said, "Of course I am," with a wide, boyish smile on his face._

* * *

_He played the chivalrous gentleman; picked her up, opened doors for her, bought her drinks (she bought one for him, too; she was an independent woman, after all!), even sang some of the songs with her. When one particular song came on, one of Elsie's favorites, she looked back to Charles standing behind her and yelled, "I love this one!" He watched her as she sang every word and he felt warmth in his stomach as he thought about the lyrics and how he wished they could apply to him and Elsie. She was so beautiful and carefree as she swayed to the music, singing _"_**I will fly swift and true straight to you, like an arrow; Just to be where you lie; Meet my quest, do my shambling best to be near you; where you lie; I've found peace in your arms; Gentle storm; Rage my way; Fall in love with me; Fall in love with me; Fall in love with me; Everyday; Counting down, now the clocks reset when I met you; Do we start a new life?..." **__Elsie looked back to Charles as she sang, a soft smirk on her face, her eyes glinting. Then she turned back to watch the band and continue to sing along with them. He could almost swear she had a look of desire on her face when she looked at him. He felt a stirring in his heart, a longing for her. But he knew he wasn't good enough. She deserved an Adonis, and an Adonis he was not. _

_They had a great time together. When they were leaving the venue, they almost got separated, but just as Charles reached his hand back, Elsie put hers forward and they clasped hands, keeping tight hold on each other so they could stay together. Even when they had more space and people thinned out, Elsie did not let go of Charles' hand, nor he hers. She loved the way their hands fit together. In his mind, her petite hand fit perfectly into his large one. _

_When he pulled up to her flat, he walked her to the door. She put her key in and twisted the knob, then turned back to Charles. "I had such a lovely time, Charles," she said endearingly. "I can't thank you enough for asking me," she said. Then she leaned in and put her arms around his neck, hugged him tightly, and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. As she pulled away, Charles brought his hand up to his cheek to touch the very spot. _

"_Thank you for coming, Elsie. I am so glad you could. I'll talk to you soon," he said as she walked into her house and closed the door, smiling as she did so._

* * *

_And then she waited. And waited. And waited some more. He did say he would talk to her soon, didn't he? She assumed that he would call. But he didn't call. Nothing. She thought perhaps he was busy with work, maybe out of the country, but that didn't help to quell her thoughts that perhaps he didn't feel the connection that she thought she felt between them. She was upset. Sad. Frustrated. She really thought that there could be something there; perhaps more than something. But alas, by the next trivia night almost a month later it was business as usual. A casual "Hello, how are you?" when she walked in and saw him. _

_Little did she know that he thought about her every day. Many minutes of every day. He dreamt about her. About a life with her. About happiness. But every time he did, he fought the desire. He couldn't have her. He wouldn't ruin her life by making her settle for a man like him. It wasn't right. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Oops...forgot to give credit to the band _Elbow_ for the lyrics to "Gentle Storm" in the last chapter. **

"So that's it," Elsie explained. "I am to die a lonely old spinster," she said as she finished putting labels on the parkas and hanging them on the rack. She never thought she'd actually share that story because she was so frustrated and confused by it, but Cora asked, and she decided to let it out.

"I don't think that will be the case, Elsie," Cora replied. "You are a beautiful, successful woman, in her prime, who would have countless men falling at her feet if you'd just let them," she said, looking at her friend pointedly.

Elsie was quick to respond. "But that's the point. I don't want _countless men_, as you say. I want 'the man,' the one; someone who I connect with, share a passion with, can't breathe without. And…" she hesitated a moment, looking down at her hands, "if he doesn't want me, well, then," she looked up and into Cora's eyes, pointedly, "I'd rather be alone."

Just as she was finishing the last part of her response, the bell on the door rang as it was opened and in walked their dear friend. "Oi you two!" she yelled. "Time for a break from your ever-constant work!" she yelled, walking through the entrance, looking for them. "Ah! There you are! Hey-who killed the cat? Why so somber looking?" she asked, looking from Cora to Elsie.

Elsie shook her head. "Ach! Nothing. Tell us how you are. How was that wedding last night? How did the food go over? Did they absolutely love the cake? How couldn't they?" she was a master at changing the subject and burying her own feelings.

"They did!" Beryl replied, "and I even brought some leftovers for you for lunch, so take a break girls and let's go," she said, toting her picnic basket to the back room. They both followed, Elsie happy for the interruption so she didn't have to talk about her feelings anymore.

* * *

It was another quiz night, and Elsie walked in a bit late, stuck with a patient who needed her more than her quiz team. Luckily she made it with a few minutes to spare before the first round started. When she walked into the bar area, looking around, the first thing she spotted was Charles at the bar, talking to none other than Allie the news girl, looking a bit close at the bar. Just at that moment Charles looked up and made eye contact with Elsie. She put on a good face, smiled and nodded, and headed over to their table.

"Elsie! Hello!" Cora and Beryl said at the same time.

"Drink. Now," was all Elsie responded. Cora handed her the drink that she had already gotten for her, and Elsie downed it in one. "Phew. That's better," she said, letting out a deep breath.

Cora and Beryl both looked at each other with wide eyes and looked back at Elsie. "You alright, love?" Beryl asked.

Elsie took a deep breath, took her coat off, and sat down. "Shit day," she said as she pushed back her hair and tried to loosen up. Both her friends gave her their full attention. In truth, she did have a bad day, but it was made even worse when she got to the pub. She was excited for tonight. To be with her friends, have a little fun, and, even if she would only admit it to herself, to see Charles. However, when she walked in to the pub and was greeted by him sidled up to the bar with Alice Stephens, the local news reporter, her stomach dropped and her hopes for a fun night were completely dashed.

"What happened?" Cora asked.

Elsie shook her head. She couldn't tell them the Charles part, but she could share what happened at work. "I had to give one of my favorite families, great people, horrible news," she explained. "Their four year old, adorable little lad who has been poorly the past few weeks," she paused for a moment, "well, we got the test results back today and he has leukemia," her eyes began to tear up. "This is one of the worst parts of my job," she said, "having to share terrible news with parents and discussing treatment plans and what not." She took a deep breath. Elsie's position as the Chief of Paediatrics at the hospital was one she loved; working with children and helping to heal them from whatever ailment or injury was so rewarding. However, moments like the one today were difficult and stressful. "I need another drink," she said, standing up.

"I'll tell you what you need to relieve your stress, and it's not alcohol," Beryl said as Elsie got up to walk to the bar. Cora elbowed her hard and Beryl said, "What? It's true. When was the last time she got laid?" she asked. "She needs that kind of stress relief!" she said, Cora rolling her eyes, yet secretly agreeing that it was true.

Elsie walked up to the end of the bar, signaling the bartender and ordering a gin and tonic. As the announcer told everyone round one was going to begin, Elsie turned to go back to the table. Charles was also making his way to the table as well. "Hello Elsie," he said as they crossed paths. She simply nodded, lifted her glass, and took a large gulp. Charles raised his eyebrows as she walked past him and took her place at the table.

"All right, love?" Beryl asked.

Elsie looked at her, a straight face, and replied, "Perfectly. Now let's get going so we can absolutely demolish that bitch's team," Elsie said, looking straight over to Allie Stephens table.

"You know she doesn't even contribute anything to the team, right?" Cora replied, making sure Elsie heard her.

"She's an absolute twat," Beryl said, not hiding her dislike for the woman. "You know that she only reads off cards and has no personality or ability to hold a conversation, right?" Beryl added. "The only reason the news has her is for her pretty face, if you even like that kind of look," she added.

The one thing Elsie did have was fabulous friends. They would back her up and support her no matter what, and just those comments made her feel the slightest bit better. If Charles wanted to be with such a shallow, one-dimensional person, then so be it.

* * *

They had another fine performance, which brought them into the finals that would take place in a months' time. To celebrate, everyone stayed after the last round to have a few drinks. Elsie was definitely feeling it as she had had more than her usual. As Cora walked away to try to contain her inebriated husband, Charles took the opportunity to talk to Elsie.

"Hello," he said, "How are you?" he asked. "Well done on that question about anesthesia, by the way," he commented, trying to break the ice of her steely stare.

"I'd better know that answer, or I should be fired," Elsie said sarcastically, taking another sip of her drink.

"Tough day?" Charles asked, sensing her stress.

"In more ways than one," she responded, looking around the bar, intentionally not making eye contact with him

"I'm sorry to hear that," he responded.

"Are you?" she asked. "Are you sorry to hear that, Charles?" she said pointedly.

He was a bit taken aback and raised his eyebrows at her icy response. "Of course I am, Elsie. We're friends, and when a friend has a bad day, of course I feel bad," he responded.

"Huh, friends," Elsie mumbled, again avoiding eye contact. Charles didn't exactly hear her, but wasn't sure her response was meant for him. He didn't want to upset her anymore, because it was clear that she had a rough day.

"Listen," he said, getting her attention and trying to change the subject. "I was wondering," he hesitated, "one of my old mates from the RAF is getting married in a couple weeks, and I was wondering if you would come with me, be my plus one?" he asked.

At first Elsie was shocked. She couldn't believe her ears. Was she hearing him properly? Was he asking her on a date? Then a memory from earlier in the night flashed in her mind and before she could control her mouth, she blurted, "What about Allie Stephens? The two of you looked quite comfy at the bar earlier," she said, looking directly in Charles' eyes.

His eyes got wide and he lifted his eyebrows. He wanted to say he was surprised at her response, but anyone at the bar that night could see that Alice Stephens wouldn't leave him alone. Years ago they dated for a while, but she left him for one of his friends and that was that. She had tried since then to rekindle what they had, but Charles had no interest in her, especially since he met Elsie. Yes, he did the gentlemanly thing and said hello, made polite conversation, but the woman lacked depth and personality. He especially knew this since getting to know Elsie, a woman who was not only brilliant and beautiful, but kind, giving, and loyal. Charles stuttered for a moment, but then stood straight and said, "I'm not asking her, I'm asking you," he said pointedly. "We have a fun time together, don't we Elsie? And Robert and Cora will be there also. He was a mate of both of ours in the RAF, so it should be a nice time," he said, wondering what her response would be. He didn't want to go alone. It was always uncomfortable when all the couples were dancing and he was sat at a table alone, watching or trying to find someone to talk to. He knew they'd have a good time, as evidenced from the concert a while back, and Cora would enjoy having her friend there.

"Hmmmm…" Elsie pondered for a moment. "Okay, I'll go," she said reluctantly. She hated putting herself in a position to be disappointed, but she couldn't say no to a night with her friends and hopefully a few dances with Charles Carson. Yes, she knew she was torturing herself, but better to be able to spend time with the man she was in love with (did she really just think that in her head...oh, the gin surely was working tonight), than not being able to be near him at all.

"Excellent," Charles said. "Thank you, Elsie. I promise we will have a good time," he said, a big smile on his face.

Elsie wanted to reply that she wanted to know what his idea of a good time was compared to hers, because hers involved not only dancing with their clothes on, but also dancing without…

Just then, Cora and Robert came over, Cora extremely apologetic to Elsie. "Elsie, I'm so sorry, but I need to get this idiot home ASAP. As you can see, he has drunken himself into a stupor. I know I said I'd drive you, but…"

Charles piped in and said, "I'll take her home. It's my way anyway. I didn't drink tonight because I have an early flight tomorrow," he explained. "And let me help you get him into the car." Charles proceeded to prop Robert up with his arm around him and walk him out to the car, Cora and Elsie following. Once Robert was safely in the car, they said their goodbyes and headed towards Charles' car.

"Thank you for this," Elsie said as they pulled up to her house. "I knew after my second drink that I wouldn't be driving home today. Tough day all around," she explained.

"Not at all," Charles replied. "I'm glad to see you home safely. It has to be tough, working with children when it isn't just the routine exams and such," he said.

"Aye, it is," she said. "But I love working with the bairns, and the positives of that, seeing their smiling faces, keeping them healthy, definitely outweighs the negatives, even though they are a hard blow at times. Charles nodded and then got out of the car to walk her to her door. He was going to open her door for her, but Elsie was already out of the car when he got there. "No need to get the door, Charles. This isn't a date," she said regretfully, walking to the door. He walked behind her and stood as she opened the door. "See you soon," she said as she walked in, turned, gave him a wave, and shut the door.

Charles stood there for a moment, thinking about what she said that night. As he put the pieces together, Elsie watched him from the window. _This isn't a date,_ she had said with, what seemed, frustration in her voice. Did she want it to be? He thought about her other comments that night, regarding Allie, her clear aggravation at her day. She seemed upset when she walked in earlier, but became more agitated as the night went on. He never thought it could be possible that Elsie Hughes, the brilliant and successful doctor, could be interested in him. But could she? No, not him. And he wouldn't allow it. If she knew what he looked like underneath, she would recoil in disgust. It just wasn't possible.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed or messaged me. I really appreciate it. I'm glad I'm back in the groove and writing again. I have had more time than usual the last few days so have been able to update more regularly than normal. I'm not sure the next chapter will be as quick, but I'll try to do my best to be as timely as possible. Hope you enjoy the next installment...**

"Dr. Hughes, it's time," Anna said as she peeked into Elsie's office.

Elsie looked up from the chart she was reading, looked at the clock, and then to Anna. "Indeed it is," she said, closing the folder and standing up. "Are the kids all assembled?" she asked as she moved from behind her desk.

"They are," Anna replied. "I finished up with Benedict Smith. Just a nasty cold, as it happens, which is a relief," Anna explained.

"Thank you for that," Elsie said as they walked down the corridor. "Your two-year fellowship is almost at its end. You aren't going to up and leave me when it's over now, are you?" she asked pointedly. Having Anna as her physician's associate fellow the past year or so had been a blessing from God. She was extremely capable, a gift to her profession. Having her had allowed Elsie to spend more time with patients and time on research, which was important to their profession.

"Of course not," Anna said. "I know you couldn't live without me now," she said with a smirk. "And besides, I really like Downton. It feels more like a home to me than any other place ever has, to be honest."

"Ha!" Elsie exclaimed. "I'm guessing that's down to a tall, dark someone or other," Elsie commented.

Anna giggled in a girlish way. "Well, yes, that. But also this place, this environment. It's a great place to work. Not to mention my boss. I mean she is demanding at times, but…" At that comment Elsie playfully elbowed Anna and they both laughed.

"Well," Elsie said, "I'm glad to hear it. At the end of the month when your fellowship has ended, we'll sit down and discuss terms for your permanent placement." She stopped, turned to face Anna, and said wholeheartedly, "And you're right, I can't live without you now!" She smiled and gave Anna a hug. "Okay, here we go," she said as they walked into the foyer of the paediatric unit.

All of the young patients were sitting around in their hospital gowns. Some had IV machines with them, some were in wheelchairs, some had masks on their faces. They were accompanied by nurses and medical assistants. When Elsie and Anna walked in, they all got excited. Small voices shouted, "Dr. Hooos! Anna!" Elsie and Anna laughed and went to stand in front of the baby grand piano. Oftentimes musicians or performers would donate their time to play for the children to bring them smiles and joy during their stay in the hospital. Today, Elsie had arranged for a magician and balloon man to come in to entertain the children.

Elsie said, "Okay my young lads and lasses, quiet down," she waited while she got their full attention. "We have a wonderful guest for you today. May I introduce the Marvelous Maestro to you!" The children all clapped and shared excitement as the magician came on.

* * *

"All right my lads and lasses," Elsie said, "Let's give one last round of applause for the Marvelous Maestro!" She clapped along with the children as the magician took his final bow.

As he was walking away, one of the patients, a five-year-old little girl named Melody, who was clearly undergoing chemotherapy, clutching on to a stuffed unicorn said, "Wainbow, Dr. Hooos, Wainbow," she waited a moment for Elsie to make eye contact with her before she said, "Pwease?" How could Elsie say no to that?

"Okay, Melody, since you asked so nicely." Elsie looked over to Anna, who smirked, and then she made her way to sit down at the piano.

* * *

Charles was frantically trying to get to his appointment, but the weather had impeded his flight and now he was rushing into the doors of the hospital. He just made it onto the lift as the doors were about to close. "Sorry everyone," he said to those who were on the lift already. As it ascended, he took a deep breath and looked at his watch. His appointment was in twenty minutes. He always liked to be at least half an hour ahead of time, so to him, he was late. Quite suddenly, the lift doors opened and he got out, followed by two other people. He looked around and just as he realized that he was on the wrong floor, the lift doors closed without enough time for him to catch them. He took a deep, frustrated breath and pushed the button for the lift to come again.

As he took a deep breath to get his bearings, her heard the sound of applause and then the notes of a piano. He looked around and saw that there was some kind of an event happening in the foyer around the corner. He looked at the sign next to the lift that said 'Paediatric Unit'. As he was reading it, he heard the sound of a melodic voice singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It sounded beautiful and he felt as if it was pulling him in. He turned the corner and what he saw was breathtaking. A group of children of all ages, sitting around either in wheelchairs or on couches, all in hospital gowns, many holding balloon animals, were completely entranced by the person who was playing the piano and singing. When he looked up, the vision he saw was intoxicating. There she was, his own heartsong, playing the piano and singing to the children. Her voice alone gave him a warm feeling all over and made his heart flutter. He was spellbound not only by her performance, but by the way the children were so engaged. She played the piano beautifully as she sang, "_**Someday I wish upon a star, wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where troubles melt like lemon drops, high above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me. Somewhere, over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why can't I?" **_Then, Elsie looked at the children, and then nodded to Anna, who prompted the children with her hands to join in, and they all did excitedly, "_**If happy little bluebirds fly, beyond the rainbow, Why, oh why can't I?"**_ Charles couldn't help himself. Hearing those sweet little voices, along with Elsie's, was beautiful. Just as she was finishing the last notes of the song on the piano, Elsie looked at the children and then noticed the tall imposter standing behind them. Her facial expression never changed, but she did blush, and any piano aficionado would recognize the fact that she slipped on one of the notes. When she finished, everyone in the room clapped; children, nurses, adults alike. The loudest of the applause, however, came from a one Charles Carson. Gosh, he thought he admired Elsie Hughes before, but seeing this, what she did for these children to brighten up their day, was amazing, and he couldn't love her more than he did at that very moment.

Elsie stood up from the piano and said to everyone, "All right, children. Back to your rooms for some rest! You must rest, rest, rest, and that's doctor's orders!" she said. As she began to walk away, Charles noticed a little girl in a wheelchair reach out and grab Elsie's hand. Elsie proceeded to crouch next to the girl and he heard her say, "Thank you, Dr. Hooos," with the sweetest smile on her face.

Elsie clearly had affection for this young patient. She replied, "Of course, Melody. Now, you need to do me a favor and go rest. You must get your strength up so that we can beat the heck out of this cancer, okay?" Melody simply nodded and Elsie squeezed her hand and then tapped her little nose with her index finger. "Now that's a good girl. I'll see you in a little bit." At that, the nurse took Melody's wheelchair and pushed it down the corridor.

Elsie stood up and walked over to Charles. "Well, Mr. Carson, to what do I owe this intrusion, catching me out in a vulnerable moment?" Charles knew she was being sly by the look on her face.

"Elsie, you were magnificent," he said, holding her gaze and trying to show her how impressed he was with her talents. "I didn't know you could sing like that and the kids, they were all so focused. You have the voice of an angel," he said, singing her praises.

"I'd hardly say that," Elsie said, shaking her head. "But let's not focus on me, what about you, Charles? What brings you here?"

That question snapped Charles back into reality. "Oh, geez," he said. "I have an appointment and in my haste to get here on time-late flight due to this weather," he added, "I wasn't paying attention and got off on the wrong floor. By the time I realized I couldn't catch the lift before the doors closed. And then...I was summoned by the voice of a siren, luring me over," he said, smiling. "And now," he checked his watch, "I am near officially late and I hate being late," he said.

"A siren I am not," Elsie replied, "but where are you headed? Perhaps I can walk with you and maybe use my connections to get you a reprieve?" she asked earnestly.

He hesitated. If he told her, that would open up a line of questioning he wasn't sure he wanted to open up. This was a very private part of him, and he had a hard time sharing. However, if he didn't he knew there would be even more questions later, so he decided to trust her and said evenly, if quietly, "To see Dr. Clarkson, in plastic surgery."

To say the least, Elsie was very surprised, however she didn't miss a beat for fear of embarrassing him, so she said, "Ah, Richard! A fellow Scot and very good friend. I'll walk you down and make sure he doesn't penalize you, so to speak." She smiled as she said it and began walking. They took the stairs up two floors and then opened the door to the corridor. Charles walked along with her and she changed the subject completely. "So, this wedding next week, what's the deal? Black tie, cocktail, or casual?" she asked.

God, he loved this woman. At a moment where he was feeling extremely vulnerable, she had a way of changing the subject and making him feel at ease. "Black tie," he replied, his pulse evening out. "Is that okay?" he asked.

"I'm sure I can rustle something up," Elsie said as she opened the door to the Plastic Surgery clinic. "Hello Jayne," she said to the girl at the front desk. "My friend Mr. Carson has an appointment with Dr. Clarkson and I'm afraid I've held him up. I'm so sorry," Elsie said as she turned and winked at Charles, who was admiring her from a couple feet away.

"No problem at all, Dr. Hughes," Jayne said, "we'll get him in right away. Mr. Carson," she said, handing him a clipboard, "if you'd just review these documents and make sure nothing has changed, then we'll get you right in." Charles took the clipboard and turned to Elsie.

"I can't thank you enough, Elsie," he said.

Elsie smiled at him as she put her hand up and squeezed his arm. "No problem at all. I hope everything goes well." She started to walk away and she said, "See you next week."

"Indeed," Charles said, watching her walk out of the clinic. He stood there, not moving, until Jayne cleared her throat and he was struck out of his reverie. He went to sit down in the waiting area to review the paperwork, but his mind kept going to the gorgeous auburn-haired angel with the beautiful voice.

As Elsie walked back down to the paediatric unit, she couldn't help but wonder why Charles had an appointment in the plastic surgery clinic? She certainly hoped it wasn't to change any of his handsome features that she loved looking at. It would be a violation of her license to go snooping in the computer to find out, and honestly, it would go against her own integrity to do so. She just hoped that Charles Carson would come clean to her, sooner or later. And she was willing to wait. The feeling she got when she looked up and saw him watching her, when their eyes connected, the butterflies in her stomach...that was enough to tell her that regardless of how Charles seemed to think they were only friends, he was wrong. She was willing to put in the time to prove it to him, one way or the other.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, blimey," Beryl nearly yelled! "He scraped up the courage to ask you to go with him, finally, did he? If wonders never cease." She took a sip of her wine and looked between Elsie and Cora, Cora giving her wide eyes and trying to communicate non-verbally for her to drop it, however, Beryl either didn't get it or ignored it. "What?" she asked. "It's about bloody time. Snails move at a faster pace than Charles Carson in the dating department. Life is too short. It's about time he saw sense," she continued.

Elsie piped up. "It's not like that. He knew Cora and Rob were going so he asked me so that I can keep her company," she explained.

"I am glad for that, to be honest," Cora said, sipping her wine.

"Well, if that's really the case, and it's only as a friend, then I have the perfect bloke for you," Beryl said. "He is smart, handsome, and very wealthy. He hired me to cater an event for his business next week, and woo-eee!" she said, whistling. "I told him I had a doctor friend who is both beautiful and brilliant and he gave me his card," she said as she began fishing around in her purse.

"No!" Elsie said rather quickly and forcefully, nearly giving herself away. "I, uh, um, I'm not interested," she said more calmly. "I'm too busy. What with work, the charity shop, you know."

Cora and Beryl looked at each other. Cora shrugged her shoulders, but Beryl was relentless. "I'll tell you what I know, Elsie Hughes, and you're not going to like it," she said, pointing her finger at Elsie. "I love you. We have been friends for innumerable years. That being so, I know you. I know you have always wanted to find Mr. Right, have a family. For God's sake you became a paediatrician because you love children. We all know how good you are with them; I mean, look how you are with my Daisy. I think she loves her Godmother more than her mother most of the time, for goodness sake," she stopped and looked at Cora for a moment, who could only nod to concur. "And you're not getting any younger. Your 37th birthday will be here before you know it. What are you waiting for? I have a perfect gentleman for you, a successful one at that, who would be mad about you, I know it, and you say no!? What the hell is going on?" she said in an exasperated voice.

Elsie waited for a minute, looking between her two best friends, taking a deep breath. "I, I…" she stuttered. "I don't know. I don't want to talk about it," she said, shaking her head. "Can we just drink our wine and enjoy our time together. I'll get out of this funk, I'm sure. But right now I'd like to just be carefree and listless, if you don't mind," she said, "and that includes not talking about my love life, or lack thereof," she finished.

Beryl wasn't going to give up, but she would give her friend some time. "Oh, I do mind, but I'll let it go...for now; but only because I love you and respect you. I reserve the right to revisit this in the near future, if necessary," she paused. "Now, tell me what you ladies are wearing to this wedding?" she asked.

They continued their conversation, but Elsie couldn't help thinking about what Beryl had said. She was going to be 37 soon. She knew university and her dedication to work took up a chunk of time in her life and she wouldn't have changed it, but she saw first hand how hard it could be to be an older pregnant woman. Geez, Cora and Rob's girls were in their early twenties and late teens. Granted, they were older than her, but not by that much. She really needed to sit down and have a talk with herself to sort out her feelings. Hopefully the wedding would help her make a decision.

* * *

The drive down to London was a nice one. Robert and Cora had picked her up first and then they went to get Charles, as he was on the way to the motorway. They greeted each other when they picked him up, Cora insisting he sit in the front because he was so tall. As they drove along, the four talked, laughed, rested, and read. Elsie brought some work to do, so when everyone was quiet for a bit she took out her laptop and started going through charts. One of her patients had come in with some strange symptoms that she, nor her other paediatricians on staff, could diagnose, so she wanted to spend some time on that.

She was so focused on her work that when Charles quietly said, "Elsie," she startled. "I'm so sorry. I tried to whisper," he explained.

She laughed. "Charles, with that deep, unique voice of yours, I'm not sure you have the ability to whisper."

He smiled back at her. "I just wanted to let you know that we are nearing the hotel, if you wanted to start wrapping up what you were doing, so you weren't caught out when we got there," he explained.

"Ah," she said. "Right you are. Thank you, I appreciate that." Charles nodded and Elsie started to shut down her computer and put her things away in her work bag. Robert pulled up to the valet at the Lanesborough Hotel and they all got out and stretched. "This place is beautiful," she said, looking around.

Charles was watching her from where he was standing at the boot of the car. "Indeed, it is," he said, not meaning the hotel, but the beautiful woman he was looking at. Elsie didn't notice as she was taking in the intricate architecture.

* * *

After they checked in and were walking to their rooms, Cora said, "Elsie, why don't I come over to your room and get dressed there so you can help me with my hair? You know I'm rubbish at trying to pull off anything fancy. If this were 100 years ago I'd need a ladies maid or some such to make me look presentable."

"That sounds fine to me," Elsie said as they were getting off the lift. When they reached the hallway, the signs pointed Robert and Cora to the right, and Elsie and Charles to the left. "Ah," Elsie said, looking at her room key, "it looks like you and I are to be neighbors," she said, smiling at Charles. In her mind, she wished they were sharing a room, but she quickly let go of the thought for fear of Charles catching her out and knowing what she was thinking. Unbeknownst to her, he was thinking the same thing. "Okay, this one is me. And what time shall we ladies be ready for you gents to pick us up?" she asked.

"Let's say at fifteen hundred hours," he said. "That will give us plenty of time to order a car and get to the church. Lucky enough, the dinner is back here, so we'll just have the car bring us back and we won't need one to get us home safely," he explained.

"Aye, sounds good to me," Elsie said as she opened her door. "See you soon, Charlie," she smirked as she went in, not looking back.

* * *

"Wow, you are stunning in that dress, Elsie," Cora said, zippering her friend up. "If Charles hasn't seen you as anything more than a friend yet, he sure will now!" she said, admiring her friend's long, black dress.

"Oh, shush," Elsie said, trying to change the subject. "And what about you? Once Robert sees you he'll want to take you right back to your room and lock you in." They were both laughing when they heard a knock at the door. Cora went to open it while Elsie grabbed her wrap and purse. When she turned around, Robert was walking into the room, followed by Charles. As Charles came in and saw her, he stopped dead in his tracks. Elsie made eye contact with him and smirked, pulling her wrap and purse closer to her body.

"Wow," Charles said. "Elsie, you look...well, you look...stunning," he said, stuttering through his words. When he first laid eyes on her, he lost his breath. He couldn't believe that this gorgeous woman was going to be on his arm for the night. He knew many from his former crew in the RAF would be there, and he was honored and proud to have her as his date.

She simply smiled and said, "Thank you, Charles." Robert kissed Cora on the cheek and whispered in her ear. They both giggled started walking out of the room.

Charles offered Elsie his arm and said, "Shall we?" She placed her hand on the crook of his arm and they walked out towards the lift.

As the descended, Robert looked at his phone and said, "The car won't be here for another twenty minutes. What do you say to having a cocktail in the lounge before hand?" Everyone agreed to that, so they made their way to the lounge and ordered drinks. As they were standing around talking, they heard someone yell, "Elsie! Elsie Hughes?" Elsie turned around to see who was calling her name.

"Oh my goodness," she exclaimed. "Hello, Sam!" she said, reaching out and hugging the man who was calling her. "How are you? How have you been?" she asked.

"Oh, smashing," he answered, smiling at everyone who was standing with Elsie. "Don't tell me you're here for the Reid wedding?" he asked.

"We are indeed," Elsie said, looking over to Charles. "Everyone, this is Sam Hartman, one of my friends from my university days," she said, introducing him. "Sam, this is Robert and Cora Crawley, very dear friends of mine, and this is," she hesitated a moment. She really didn't know how to introduce Charles, so she simply said, "Charles Carson." Everyone said hello and shook hands.

"So, are you here for the bride or groom?" Sam asked.

"Groom," both Charles and Robert said at the same time. Then Charles spoke, "we are mates from our RAF days," he explained.

"Ah, got it!" Sam replied. "I'm on the bride's side. Jenny is my cousin," he explained. "I like Jez though," he said. "Stand up guy, he is," he said. Then he turned to Elsie. "So tell me really, how are things going? Are you married? Kids? Still practicing," he asked.

Elsie looked over to Charles before answering and then said, "No, not married. No kids. And yes, I am the chief of paediatrics at the hospital where I live. And you?"

"Ach!" he said. "Recently divorced, not-so-sadly. No kids. Putting everything I have into my cardiology practice," he explained. As he was finishing, someone near the door yelled, "Sam, car's here!" "Ah, that's my cue. Nice meeting you all," he said, looking at Robert, Cora, then Charles. Then he looked pointedly at Elsie. "Elsie, I do hope you'll save me a dance later," he said, smiling, then turned to walk away.

This clearly bothered Charles as he cleared his throat and then downed his drink. "I'm going to go to the loo before our car comes," Charles said, walking away.

"So," Cora said to Elsie. "This Sam...only a friend at uni, or more?" she nudged.

"Oh, it wasn't like that," Elsie explained. "He and I were both in the same study group with about ten other people. To be honest, he's a nice guy, pleasant to look at, but he's horribly arrogant and conceited. If he were here any longer, we'd hear all about the wonderful things he's done, the amazing things he has, yada, yada, yada. Not my type at all," she said.

Cora and Robert looked at each other. "I wish Charles was here to hear that part," Robert mumbled to his wife.

They all finished up their cocktails and made their way to the doors to wait for their car. When Charles joined them, he seemed quiet. Elsie brushed it off and acted as if everything was normal, taking his arm without him offering. She had an inkling that it had to do with Sam Hartman, which was a good sign, really. That meant Charles had feelings for her, and she was determined to get him to admit it.

* * *

The wedding was beautiful, and the reception hall at the hotel was absolutely exquisite. They were shown to their tables and they came in and were seated with three other men from their RAF crew and their dates. Charles introduced Elsie to all of them and she shook everyone's hands. They all sat and waited for the bride and groom to make their entrance. There was champagne on the table and Charles asked Elsie if she wanted any. She said yes, so he poured each of them some and then handed Elsie her glass. "Cheers," Charles said, holding up his glass.

Elsie nodded, held her glass up, clinked it with Charles', and said, "Cheers," and they both sipped.

"So, Charles, old boy," one of the men across the table said, "how long have you and this beautiful woman been together?" he asked. At this, Charles and Elsie both blushed. Charles started to stutter, but before he could answer, Elsie saved him and said, "We have known each other for quite some time." She looked over at Charles and said, "haven't we, darling?"

Charles nodded his head yes, grateful that she had replied. "That's right, Jim, quite some time," he said, placing his arm on the back of Elsie's chair.

"Well then why the hell haven't you scooped her up and married her?" Jim asked, laughing sarcastically. "If you don't, someone else will soon," he said, making eyes at Elsie. At the same time that Jim's wife was slapping his arm, Robert stood up and asked Charles to accompany him to the bar to get some drinks.

"Thanks for that," Charles said as they walked away.

"It's all right, mate," Robert replied. "But truth be told," he stopped walking and looked at Charles, "I'm wondering the same thing? It is obvious that you and Elsie have a connection. Jesus, anyone in the same room with the two of you can feel the heat when you look at each other, for God's sake. What are you waiting for?" he asked.

Charles hesitated for a moment. He hated to bring up "the event," but he had no other choice than to explain himself. "I'm not good enough," he said. "You know I'm not a whole man since the ambush. You haven't seen the whole of it, Rob. Even after the skin grafts and surgeries, I'm still a mangled mess. I'm just not good enough for her. She deserves a whole man. A man who isn't embarrassed of himself and can take his shirt off in public. It just isn't right for me to saddle her with my problems. Even after nearly 12 years, I'm still not right," he explained, pain evident on his face.

Rob took a deep breath, clearly frustrated. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips. "You saved us that day. Not only those at our table, but others in this room and more. You're a goddamned hero, Charles Carson, and any woman would be lucky to have you, just as you are," he hesitated for a moment. "And this is Elsie we are talking about. She's a doctor, for God's sake, not to mention kind and compassionate. Out of everyone in this world, she would be the one to understand you the most," he said. "She clearly loves you, Charles. You need to tell her."

"But I don't want her to pity me," he started.

"Charles, the last thing she would do is pity you." Robert said.

"But the dreams..." Charles started.

"Tell her," Rob said pointedly. "She'll understand, and she'll love you even more. Hell, maybe she can even help? I'm telling you, brother, you really need to tell her...not just about the incident and the dreams, but that you love her. If you don't," he said, hesitating, "then you're going to lose her." When he was sure Charles had heard him, he turned and walked towards the bar, Charles following behind.

* * *

Dinner was delicious and it was time for dancing. Luckily, Jim calmed down and they had pleasant conversation at their table. When the music started, Robert and Cora got up and made their way to the dance floor. Charles turned to Elsie and said, "I don't suppose you'd like to dance?" he said almost shyly.

"If that is your way of asking me, then yes, Charles, I would love to dance with you," Elsie replied. Charles stood up and put his hand out to Elsie, walking her to the dance floor. She remembered how her hand felt in his from the concert, and she almost felt a feeling as if she was home, as if this is where she was meant to be. They began to glide to the music, fitting perfectly together, Elsie following Charles' lead step-for-step.

"You're a great dancer," Charles said into Elsie's ear.

She looked up to him and said, "Well, when you have the right partner…" and then she placed her cheek against his shoulder. She would stay here all night, if she could. Her heart was fluttering, she had butterflies in her stomach, and she felt a need to look into his eyes and just kiss him.

Just as she was about to push up on her tiptoes when she heard Sam Hartman's voice, "May I cut it?" he asked. Elsie could see the disappointment on Charles' face. As he was about to let her go, she held on tightly and pulled him closer.

"No thanks, Sam," she said. "I'm going to finish my dance with Charles." She would rather see disappointment on Sam's face than Charles'. Sam simply nodded his head and skulked away.

"You didn't have to do that," Charles said, looking down at her.

"Are you kidding? I would much prefer dancing with you, Charles," she said. "Sam is a right twat," she said. At that comment, Charles' eyes got big and he lifted his eyebrows questioningly. Elsie giggled. "Well, he is. He was fine as part of my study group at uni, but he's an arrogant ass."

At that comment, Charles simply said, "Hmpf," and pulled Elsie a bit tighter.

* * *

As they were walking toward their rooms after a wonderful night of dancing and champagne, Elsie said, "It's a shame you have to leave so early for your flight tomorrow."

Charles agreed. "It is, but the pilot who is supposed to be flying tomorrow apparently has the shingles, so he is out of commission. I hate to leave, but if I don't do it, it becomes a huge mess for the airline, so I may as well. It will give me extra time off later on, so it'll work out," he explained.

Elsie nodded as they got to her room and she slid her key into the slot. The red light blinked and it wouldn't let her in. She tried again to no avail. "Here, let me," Charles said. He also tried, and he got the same result.

"I'll have to walk down to the front desk and see what is going on," Elsie said.

Charles remembered something from a previous hotel stay. "Did you have any credit cards in your purse?" he asked. Elsie nodded. "Ah," he said. "That's probably what happened. When the key rubs against other credit cards, sometimes they deactivate the key."

"Shoot," Elsie said. "Alright, you go ahead, Charles. You have a long flight tomorrow and you need your rest. I'll go get this sorted," she said as she went to turn to walk back to the lifts.

"First of all," Charles said, "I would never let you go alone. Secondly, why don't we try the adjoining door from my room? Doesn't hurt to try before going all the way down to the desk," he said.

"Good idea!" Elsie said, following Charles over to his door. After they got in, Charles walked over to the door that opened between their rooms and unlocked it on his side. Miraculously, it was open on Elsie's side (she wondered if Cora had something to do with that?).

"The maid must have left it open," Charles said, opening it all the way.

After Elsie walked into her room, she turned to Charles and said, "Thank you Charles. For asking me to come. For tonight. For being my savior," she said, putting her hand out and waving it around the room.

"No, thank you for coming, Elsie," he said, leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek. Elsie let him, but as he was moving away, she turned her head and brushed her lips against his. There was an electric jolt that went through both their bodies. Charles pulled back to look into Elsie's eyes for a moment and all he saw there was love, longing, and desire, the same things he was feeling at the moment. The same things he had felt since he met Elsie. He leaned down to kiss her again, this time with more force and emotion. He wrapped his arms around her waist, as she put hers around his neck. Their kiss was magical, pulling them both in, their tongues mingling in a dance that seemed completely familiar, yet new and exciting. The electric shock going through them produced a longing deep down to their cores and their bodies pulled into each other tightly, naturally. Charles put his left hand into Elsie's hair, pulling her closer as he pulled her in with his right arm around her lower back. Elsie placed her left hand on Charles' neck, her right arm around his middle.

As they were both caught up in investigating each other's mouths, Charles didn't realize at first as Elsie had reached her hand into his suit jacket and began to tug at his shirt. Just as she had pulled it out on his left side and grazed her fingers against his skin, he pulled away from her suddenly. She was taken aback and looked into his eyes. "Charles?" she said questioningly. She didn't know what she did or what just happened.

He looked at her beautiful face, seeing how pure and wonderful she was. He couldn't do this to her. He couldn't saddle her with his problems. He looked her in the eyes and said, "I can't," he hesitated. "I'm sorry, Elsie, but I can't."

And then he was gone. The door was shut between them and he was gone, leaving her with electricity flowing through her entire body, a feeling of longing that was never going to be fulfilled. She sat down on the edge of her bed and began to cry. What did she do? What had prompted that reaction? Right when she touched his skin, he recoiled back and away from her and stopped the absolute ecstasy she was feeling. What happened? Why wasn't she good enough for him? The elated feeling she had in her heart just moments ago was replaced by a complete emptiness and longing. Elsie was crushed, and she didn't know if she would be able to come back from this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement for this story. Special thanks to CSoTA for always making me feel like part of the community and for encouraging me with her kind words...it means a lot to me! Hope you enjoy this next chapter...they are getting there...slowly (not as slow as the series!) but surely!**

She barely slept, and couldn't help getting up early to pack her things. They were supposed to stay in London for another day to shop and enjoy some peace away from the constant hustle and bustle, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. They were all supposed to meet for breakfast at 9:00, so Elsie got herself ready, went online to book a train ticket, and then walked down to the restaurant in the hotel. Robert and Cora were already sitting at a table drinking coffee and reading the paper. Cora looked up as Elsie walked over. At first her face lit up, but as her friend drew nearer she could tell that something was wrong.

"Elsie, good morning!" Robert said, oblivious to anything. "Why on earth do you have your bag and where is Charles?" he asked.

Just the mention of his name made Elsie flinch a little. She would have to make his excuses, remembering that Robert and Cora had already left the reception when Charles got the call from his airline.

Elsie cleared her throat. "He got called away to work," she explained. "Last night, after the two of you left, he got a call asking him to fly to Dubai early this morning. Apparently the other captain has come down with the shingles and they knew Charl, eh ehm, he was in London." She couldn't even say his name without feeling a pain in her heart. "Apparently they'd have to cancel the flight if he'd said no, so he agreed," she said.

Cora was studying her face, trying to implore Elsie with her eyes to say something. "Why the suitcase?" she asked, never taking her eyes off of Elsie's.

"I'm going to head back early," she said, not giving anything away, looking down. "I got a call from the hospital. Anna thinks she has found a breakthrough with one of my patients, but she needs me back to approve it, so I booked a train." She looked at her watch, anything to avoid Cora's stare, knowing that if she made eye contact with her friend she would burst out into tears. "I better head there now so I don't miss it." Cora began to protest, but Elsie put her hand up. "You two go and have a lovely time in London together," she said. "Lord knows, you deserve some time away. I'll catch up with you when you get back," she said, leaning down to kiss Cora on her cheek. Robert stood up quickly and gave Elsie a hug, and then she was gone in an instant.

Cora and Robert were quiet for a moment, then Cora said, "Something happened between them." She stopped and thought pensively for a moment. "I don't know what it was, but I am going to find out. It is time for them both to be happy, and I'm sick of this elusive bullshit between them," she said.

Robert thought for a minute and then he cleared his throat. "Cora, dear," he looked up sheepishly. "Let me tell you what Charles said to me last night. That might have something to do with it…"

* * *

Charles was halfway into his flight from London to Dubai. He had everything under control as far as the aircraft was concerned, but what he couldn't control were his thoughts of a beautiful redhead. The way her lips felt on his, how soft they were. Her warm breath on his skin, her body close to his as they were dancing. The sweet smell of her, holding her in his arms, as if she fit perfectly…

"Captain! Captain Carson!" he was shocked out of his thoughts by his co-pilot. At first he checked all of his controls and his trajectory, and after realizing all was where it was supposed to be, he turned to his co-pilot.

"What is it, Bates?" he yelled. His co-pilot was taken aback. He had never known Captain Carson to ever be harsh with him. Although, he did realize from the start of the flight that Charles was not himself. He had known him for quite some time, and there was definitely something going on.

"You have a phone call, sir," he said. Charles nodded his head and pressed the button for his headset to accept the phone call.

"Charles Carson," he said. He was expecting a call from headquarters, or possibly the tower in Dubai. What he wasn't expecting was the harsh, loud, screaming voice of his best mate.

"What the fuck did you do?" Robert yelled, completely frustrated and angry.

Charles briefly looked over at Bates, and then focused on the airspace through the window before replying, "I have no idea what you are alluding to," he said, trying to make sense of why Rob would be so angry with him.

Robert shook his head. "I don't know what I'm alluding to either, mate, but what I do know is Elsie Hughes was supposed to join Cora and me for breakfast, along with you, might I add, so thanks for the text telling me you had to go to work, but anyway, she didn't."

Charles was confused. "Sorry about that, mate, but she didn't what?" he asked.

"She didn't come to breakfast! She came walking up, suitcase in hand, making her excuses that she had to get back because of some patient, blah, blah, blah, so she booked herself a train and left," he said, furious. "So that leads me to believe that something happened between the two of you," he explained. "Which also leads me to believing that you fucked something up royally. The look on her face was awful, Carson. She seemed damaged in some way," Robert said.

"I, uh, I," Charles stammered. "Hmpf," he said, picturing Elsie with such a look on her face. The idea of it made his stomach sink.

"Listen, Carson," Robert said. "You can stutter all day, but what I do know is that when Cora and I left last night, you and Elsie were having a great time, dancing together perfectly, looking like you belonged together and only had eyes for each other, and then I wake up to be greeted with my best mate MIA and Elsie shuffling back to Downton instead of having a great day with my friends enjoying the spoils of London. So," Robert took a breath, "I ask you again...what the fuck did you do?!"

Charles took a deep breath. He knew he messed up, but the part of him that was too worried to share his vulnerabilities with anyone was still working hard to quell his true emotions. He didn't know if he would be able to share his whole self with anyone for fear of rejection. He couldn't have this conversation right now, so he said, "Listen, Rob, I am flying nearly 200 people to Dubai right now, and I can't get into it with you." Truth be told, he didn't want John or anyone else to hear about what an ass he was, so he made his excuses. "I need to focus on this flight. When I get to Dubai I will call you. I'm staying over then flying a plane back tomorrow. I'll call you later and we'll talk.," he said directly.

"I knew it," Robert said. "I knew you fucked up," he took a breath. "I'm going to leave you with this, Carson, and you better call me later or I'm flying to Dubai to knock some sense into you. Here it is: you deserve to be happy. You deserve to have someone who loves you, and who you love, and to have all the spoils that go with it. If I have to beat it into you, I will, but I'm sick of this self-pitying bullshit," he said. "I don't know what happened, but if you saw the look on her face this morning, you would know she loves you. No one feels that kind of pain if they don't love someone," he paused for a minute to let it sink in. "Get your shit together, man, and come home and get your girl," he said. "And by God, Carson, you will owe me big time for making me speak so emotionally. I'm an Englishman, for God's sake," he said, and he hung up.

Charles went to respond, but the line was dead. He didn't know what to think, or what to do. There were a thousand thoughts running through his head right now, but through all of them, the one that he kept coming back to was her beautiful face and how good it felt to hold her close, in his arms, and to kiss her. He didn't know what he would do, but Robert was right, as much as he didn't want to admit it. He had to do something, because if he didn't he was going to lose her, and he didn't think he had the strength for that.

He looked over to John, who was focused straight ahead but had a smirk on his face.

"Sorry about that," Charles said. "And sorry for snapping at you."

John replied, "No worries, Cap," he hesitated for a moment, "but just so you know, she's a great lady," he said, looking Charles straight in the eye, yet with the smirk still on his face.

Charles was caught off guard and shocked. "How did you...? How do you...? I don't understand…" And then the penny dropped. Most calls that were sent through went to both pilots incase it was a directive from the airline. In his haste to take the call and his frustration with being caught daydreaming about Elsie, Charles never clicked the button to change the phone line. Only he could do it, as it was on his flight deck. John had heard everything. But how did he...Charles looked at him questioningly.

"I've been dating her PA for nearly a year. We've been out to drinks together and such," he explained. "Anna can't say enough about her...how she is with the children, what a great boss she is...a great person," he said. John looked over to Charles, who was speechless. Then he said, "I'll shut up now, but not before I tell you that the two of you would be great together. I've worked with you for a long time, and I knew you when we were in the RAF. I know what you're thinking, Cap, but get over it. She's better than that. That's all I'll say," he said, and turned back to his controls.

Charles waited a moment before nearly whispering, "She's too good, that's the problem," he waited. "She deserves everything, and more." _And I'm not_, he thought in his head. But he couldn't stand the description Rober gave him of Elsie's face. He pictured her with disappointment, sadness. If that was truly her reaction, then he had to get over himself and stop making her decisions for her. He needed to explain himself, painful as it might be, and let her decide for herself. He needed to come up with a plan...


	7. Chapter 7

Elsie immersed herself in her work. She got there by six in the morning and stayed until eight o'clock at night. She pored over patient files, spent quality time with each of the patients on the paediatric floor, and she did research regarding paediatric conditions and their treatments. She guided her medical team with the utmost care and precision and oversaw all aspects of her unit even more meticulously than normal. Nobody would ever say that Dr. Elsie Hughes wasn't dedicated to her work, but they especially would not be saying that the past few days. She didn't want to think about her own life, so she threw herself into the lives of her patients and her dedication to healing them.

She was in her office on her computer when the unit charge nurse came in with a cup of tea for her. "Oh, you are magnificent, Phyllis, thank you," Elsie said, reaching up and taking the tea, smiling. "This is just what I needed," she exclaimed, taking a satisfying sip.

"Dr. Hughes," Phyllis spoke up, "there is a call for you on line two," she said, waiting for Elsie's reply.

Elsie looked up. "Who is it?" she asked, pensive.

Phyllis took a deep breath. "It's Charles Carson...again," she said tentatively, knowing what was coming next.

"Please tell him I'm unavailable," Elsie said, taking another sip of her tea and turning back to her computer screen.

"But this is the fifth time he's called in two days," Phyllis said, almost pleading. She hated hearing the disappointment in his voice when she let him down.

"Still unavailable," Elsie replied, not even glancing up. Phyllis waited for a moment, hesitated, then stepped out of Elsie's office.

Elsie didn't want to think about Charles Carson at all. She wanted to forget that night and everything that happened. She was pretty successful at it while she was at work. That is, until he started calling. She was sure he wanted to apologize and tell her it wasn't her, it was him, blah, blah, blah, but she just couldn't hear it. She couldn't hear his voice without going weak in the knees as it was, and if he was going to let her down using it, she couldn't mess with herself that much. She still got a sick feeling in her stomach when she thought about him pulling away and saying he couldn't do it. In her mind, she must have repulsed him in some way when they kissed, and she couldn't handle the rejection. Not when she thought they had melded together so perfectly.

And then it was the dreams. The dreams were also seriously pissing her off. She could distract herself well enough at work, but when she went to sleep at night she kept having the recurring dream that brought her back to that hotel room and back to the feelings she had when Charles had his arms wrapped around her and his lips against hers. If she had to give a definition to the word bliss, or heaven, or ecstasy, they would all go back to that moment for her and it was really bothering her that she couldn't get it out of her head and especially, out of her dreams. When she woke this morning with his name on her lips, she was beyond frustrated. She jumped in the shower and tried to scrub it off. She was successful for a little while, but now he was calling again. She just wished that he would forget about it, let it go, and let her move on, if she was even capable of doing so. So, instead, she filled her time and her head with as much work as possible to try to quell her thoughts of Charles Carson.

* * *

Charles was pulling his bag through the airport gate with John Bates walking beside him. John had kept quiet on their last two flights together, talking about their favorite football and cricket teams, Anna, what they were going to be doing for the upcoming holiday. He didn't ask about Elsie, but as they were walking through the airport to the separate pilot parking area, he couldn't help himself.

"So," he began, hesitating. "How's it going with Dr. Hughes?" he asked. At the mention of her name, Charles breathed in through his teeth quickly. John could sense that things hadn't gone well. "Not good then, huh?" he asked.

Charles hesitated for a moment, wondering how much he should share. He trusted John and more than that, he counted him as a friend, albeit a work friend. They had been flying together for nearly ten years and they had previously served in the RAF together. Separate units, but their units fought together side-by-side. John had a war injury as well, so maybe he would understand where Charles was coming from.

"It's not," Charles responded flatly. John looked at him questioningly as they walked along.

"What do you mean?" he asked, noticing Charles' pained expression.

"It's not going. Not at all. She won't take my calls," Charles said simply. "I've tried to call her between flights. On her cell phone. At work. She won't answer, or she tells the secretary she is unavailable," he explained.

John stopped in his tracks. When Charles realized, he stopped and looked back. "What is it?" he asked.

John shook his head. "Wait a minute, let me get this straight," he paused for a moment. "You messed up, right?" he asked. "I mean, that's basically what I understood from Rob screaming at you over the phone the other day." Charles nodded his head. He wasn't going to get into how yet, but his answer was enough for John. "Cap," he began, "you can't just call her," he said.

"What do you mean?" Charles asked, not understanding.

"Cap," he said again, "if you messed up, royally, as it seems," he explained, "you can't make it up with a phone call. You have to do some grand gesture to show her how much you care. Women need that. They want to know that you understand you did something stupid, and you're willing to do anything to take it back," he explained. He waited a moment then added, "Take it from me. I had a horrible relationship with my first wife, but despite that, I learned a lot. I'm taking that and making sure that this time around, I do whatever it takes to make Anna happy and to remind her that she is the number one important person in my life." They started walking again and Charles thought for a minute before responding. They were nearing their cars but Charles wanted to ask John something before they parted.

"Bates," he said, "can I ask you something personal?" John nodded and Charles continued. "I mean, I feel a bit foolish bringing it up, but I think you are the only one who can help me with this," he said, looking at John. "You know about the injury," he began and John nodded. "You were there, obviously, and you went through your own recovery. We each wear our wounds differently, but how did it, um, er," he hesitated. He didn't know how to put it. "How do you manage dating when you have an injury. I mean, did it hold you back? Did you even talk about it? I guess, well, I guess I'm worried about when she finds out about it and, well, I…" he didn't know how to finish.

John knew he had to jump in and save Charles from being too embarrassed. "I know where you're going with this, Cap, and I'll not lie to you. With Vera, my first wife, she was disgusted by it and wouldn't let it go, calling me useless and a good-for-nothing. But you were around a bit. You know she was a selfish, hateful woman who was only concerned about how things looked, the name brands she wore, how much money I had. With Anna, it is so much different," he said with emphasis. "I was extremely self-conscious and thought I would be living the single, solitary life forever. But then I met Anna, and she is the most understanding, kind, accepting person I've ever met. She has never looked at me as a cripple. Honestly," he paused for a moment, "and I know I'm getting a little too sentimental here, but the way she looks at me, I know she loves me for who I am, and I don't even think she sees the injury at all," he said, looking at Charles. "Does that make sense?" he asked.

Charles nodded his head. Then he shared his true fear. "That's what I'm worried about," he hesitated, looking away for a moment, leaning on his car. "I'm worried Elsie won't be able to see past this gruesome sight of my body," he said. "I don't want to bear myself to her. She deserves better than this," he said, gesturing up and down his body.

John just shook his head. "Oh, for fuck's sake," he said. That got Charles' attention. "And I say that with the utmost respect, Cap, but you can really be a fucking idiot at times," he said, laughing sarcastically and shaking his head. At that comment, Charles' eyes got big and he lifted his eyebrows.

"What the hell does that mean?" he asked, shocked at John's words.

"Cap, if that's what you think, then I don't really think you know Dr. Hughes at all," he said, looking straight at Charles. "I have to go, but I'll say this," he said, looking at his watch. "Anna is the purest, kindest, most giving soul I've ever met and she idolizes Dr. Hughes. Wants to be just like her. She's not only her boss, but her mentor. I heard you saw her singing to the kids last week...if that doesn't tell you how caring and selfless she is, I don't know what will." John turned and opened his car door, throwing his bag in. Then he turned back to Charles. "It took me quite some time to get over my self-pity and my feeling of worthlessness. Even having a good job and doing well for myself didn't quite do it, but when I met Anna...well, the love of a great woman does the trick," he said, getting into his car. "Cap," he looked pointedly at Charles, "you were awarded the Victoria Cross for chrissakes," he paused for a minute, likely recollecting scenes from their conflict in Iraq. "I know you don't feel you deserve it, but you saved hundreds of us that day. At least. You need to start thinking more about the lives you saved than the marks on your body," he closed his car door and started it up. Charles continued to stand there pensively. Before he drove away, John rolled his window down and shouted, "Grand gesture, Cap," he said. "Grand gesture!"

'Grand gesture, indeed,' Charles thought. But what would that be?

* * *

They were back to quiz night and it was the finals for the year. The team had assembled early to review strategy. Robert was getting very anxious, making sure everyone was organized and ready to play. "Not too much to drink before we start," he yelled to everyone. "We need to be on the top of our game!"

"That's funny, coming from you," Cora shouted. Everyone laughed and Robert's face grew red.

"Ha, bloody ha!" he replied. He looked over his list and then to everyone at the table. "Cora, he whispered, "where the hell is Elsie?"

Cora shook her head. "She texted me earlier and said she would be running late," she replied, digging through her bag to find her phone to see if she'd gotten any more texts. "I've barely heard from her since the wedding," she said. "I think she's avoiding my phone calls." Robert looked over to Charles as Cora was saying this. He had said he was going to make things right, but since they talked, he was unsure if Charles acted on anything. Just as he was going to respond to Cora, the announcer spoke into the microphone.

"All right teams, you have one minute to get ready and the quiz night finals will begin!" As he was saying this, Robert was shooting a hard stare in the direction of Charles. Elsie always contributed a lot to the team, and without her, they may not prevail as champions.

"I blame you for this," Robert said, pointing his index finger into Charles' chest.

Charles looked questioningly at Robert. "Me? What for? How was I to know the answer to that question?" he asked Robert.

Robert took a deep breath. "You weren't. But Elsie would have. It was a medical question, for god's sake, and she's not here. And that's down to you. She's never missed a quiz night before and I'm pretty damn sure she's missing tonight because of you, you, you giant arsehole!" he yelled, raising his voice as he continued.

Luckily, the bartender came over and took their drink order. They waited quietly, Charles choosing not to respond to Robert. He chose that tactic merely because he was pretty sure Robert was correct, and he didn't want to admit it. After numerous attempts to contact Elsie, even going to her flat, he was unable to connect. He had high hopes of seeing her tonight in person, so that he could put a plan into action to make things up to her. The announcer signaled that it was time for round two. As everyone was making their way back to the table and sitting down, Elsie came in. Charles could feel her before he saw her. He had the inclination to look toward the entry and there she was, briskly walking toward their table. She avoided his eye contact and went to the opposite end of the table, where there was an empty seat between Cora and Beryl

"Oh, thank God!" Robert yelled as Elsie sat down. She quickly turned and said hello to everyone, again avoiding Charles. When he looked at her, he noticed her normal spark was missing. She was usually full of life, happy, energetic. Tonight, she looked tired, worn out, sad. He got a sick feeling in his stomach as he realized that this was all his fault. God, he wanted to punch himself in the face. At that moment, he decided he would never do anything to cause her pain again. After the last round he would scoop her up, kiss her until his lips hurt, and declare his undying love for her, self-consciousness be damned!

But that was not to be. As they were all jumping up and celebrating their win when the final points were announced, much due to Elsie's intelligence and contributions, he looked around to find her, grab ahold of her, and celebrate not only their victory, but what was to come for them. But she wasn't there. Nowhere to be found. He asked Cora where she was and even Cora didn't know. Cora had been accosted by Robert immediately when their victory was announced and Robert had been hugging her and jumping up and down. In light of the excitement, she wasn't paying attention. He looked over to Beryl and asked with his eyes, and Beryl simply shrugged, not knowing where Elsie went. She wasn't there. In an instant, slipped into thin air...gone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much for your reviews. They prompted me to finish this chapter tonight so as not to leave you all hanging too long. They are getting there...almost! **

She showed up because she knew she couldn't let her team down. But when it came down to the end, she couldn't stand the thought of Charles trying to talk to her in front of all their friends. The last thing she was going to do was put on a show for everyone. As soon as the announcement was made and everyone stood up to cheer, she took the opportunity and left quickly. She knew it was cowardly, but she just didn't have the energy to face them tonight.

When she got home, she opened up a bottle of red wine, let it breathe, took a quick shower and changed into her pajamas. She poured herself a glass of red wine and went into the lounge to flick the telly on. She was going to find some mindless show to watch in hopes of drowning out her own miserable life at the moment. She happened upon a cooking show that seemed promising and sipped her wine as she watched. Later, she was jolted awake by the text tone on her phone. She reached for it on the side table and saw that she had a couple different texts.

_What happened? Where did you go? You didn't stay to celebrate! ~Cora_

_You okay, love? You didn't seem yourself tonight and we haven't chatted in a bit. Let's have tea in the next couple days. ~Beryl_

_Just wanted to let you know we got the reports back for little Liam. Things are looking up. Thought I'd give you some good news! ~Anna_

And finally…

_Elsie, please. We need to talk. I need to explain myself to you. I think it will help...for both of us. Please call me… ~Charlie_

Even as her eyes were tearing up, she giggled a little at his use of 'Charlie.' He told her months ago that no one had called him that since he was a child, until she did the night of the concert. With a smirk on her face, Elsie had replied to him that it was her special name, then, raising her eyebrows and giggling. She hadn't used it for him since then, but he was using it now. He remembered. That was a good sign, but Elsie didn't want to get too hopeful. She decided she would sleep on it and text everyone back in the morning. She put her wine glass in the sink and headed to her bedroom.

* * *

In her office the next day, Anna came in, handed Elsie a folder, then sat down. Elsie smiled, picked it up, and looked over some of the paperwork. "So...what do you think?" Anna asked.

"I think this is really good news!" Elsie exclaimed. "I checked on him first thing this morning and he is doing much better. No fever, his color has significantly changed, and his energy level is definitely coming back. Great job, Anna," she said, truly proud of her protege. "Now," she said, "thank you for taking care of booking this week's entertainment. We better get down there," she said, standing up.

"Oh, I already took care of it," Anna said. "He is setting up now and the nurses and personal care aides are rounding up the children," Anna said, standing up.

"You're a doll," Elsie said. "Then I have time to pop to the loo." She grabbed her phone off her desk and put it in the pocket of her lab coat.

"Sounds good," Anna said. "I'll meet you down there."

* * *

When Elsie got to the foyer, she was just in time for Anna to introduce the performer. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen..." Anna began.

"Lads and lasses," the children yelled back. Some of the frequent patients battling the worst conditions were used to Elsie addressing them in her Scottish tongue.

Anna laughed and said, "Ah, I apologize. Okay, lads and lasses, we have a fabulous magician here today for you. Please give a warm welcome to Cheerful Charlie!" she said, looking over to her left and clapping her hands. Elsie glanced to where Anna was looking and she stopped breathing for a moment. There, in a tux, with magicians' coat and tophat on, was none other than Charles Carson. What was he doing there? There must be some mistake.

But there wasn't. Charles captivated the children for the next half hour, juggling, playing card tricks, pulling quarters out of children's ears. He was magnificent, and each trick he did made the children 'ooh' and 'aah', getting louder and more excited as he continued. Elsie was completely flabbergasted. She knew Charles to be a reserved, proper, well-mannered man, not an entertainer. This made her realize that there were parts of Charles she didn't know. She wondered what else he was hiding up his sleeve…

"And for my last trick, I need a volunteer to help me, but this volunteer has to be an adult," he began, looking around. "She has to have beautiful red hair, be about this tall," he held his hand up to near-shoulder height to him, "and she has to be…"

"Dr. Hoos, Dr. Hoos!" some of the patients yelled. Elsie laughed at that. He was setting her up and there was nothing she could do about it. Her patients were waiting, and she was not going to let them down. She rolled her eyes a little at Charles as he stood waiting anxiously in front of the piano.

"Okay, okay, you've got me," she said to the children as she walked up. "And what will you have me do, _Cheerful Charlie_?" she asked with emphasis on his stage name.

Charles held out a small square of red fabric for the children to see. "Now, you see that this is completely blank, am I right?" he asked the children, holding it to the left, the right, and then the middle. Once he waited for them to nod their heads, he asked Elsie to bunch up the fabric and place it in her palm. She did as he asked, looking up at him for the next directive. "Now, we need the magic words," he said to the children. "Are you ready?" he asked them. They either nodded or said "Yes!"

"Okay, on the count of three, shout the magic word while I tap Dr. Hughes' hand." Charles placed his left hand under Elsie's fist and as he counted out, he tapped her fist with his right hand. "One, two, three, Alakazam!" he yelled with the children. They were all so excited. "Now, Dr. Hughes, don't open your fist, but turn it sideways for me, please," Charles directed. He looked at the children and said, "I am going to pull out the fabric and it will have a special note on it for Dr. Hughes. Then we will finish the trick by placing the fabric back into her left fist. Here we go…" Charles pulled the first piece of fabric out and it was blue. On it, in black letters, it said 'I'm sorry.' Elsie looked up to Charles in shock. She didn't understand how he did that. The children were so excited to see a different color that they were shrieking in excitement. Charles took to fabric and placed it into Elsie's left hand. Then, he pulled the next piece out of her right fist, a yellow piece that said, 'It's you.' Elsie was confused by that and as she looked at Charles, she knit her eyebrows together. He then pulled the next piece out, a purple piece that said, 'It's always been you.' Now she started to get it, and tears began to well in her eyes. He pulled the next piece out, a red one that said, 'Please give me a chance.' Lastly, a green piece that said, 'Please give us a chance.' By this point, Elsie was nearly breathless. Her knees were going weak and she didn't know what to do, but she had to put a brave and strong face on for the children.

"What do they say?" some of them asked.

But Charles intervened. "Ah, ah, ah," he said. "That message was for Dr. Hughes! Now, let's find out what your message is." Charles bunched all the fabric in Elsie's left fist and said to the children, "I'll need your help again. Ready...one, two, three, Alakazam!" they all yelled. Charles proceeded to pull out a large piece of tie-dyed fabric that was connected into a banner, with all the colors of the individual fabrics. In big letters, the banner said "GET WELL SOON!" The children cheered and shrieked. They were so intrigued by the magic. Elsie was just as shocked and impressed. It took Anna coming up to break her out of her shock.

"Okay our lads and lasses," Anna said. "Let's give another round of applause for Cheerful Charlie!" The children clapped as loudly as they could, showing their appreciation for Charles' talent. "Now, let's get you back to your rooms so that you can rest before your dinner comes," Anna said, moving to help the nurses get the children back, intentionally leaving Elsie to talk to Charles.

Elsie supervised and made sure the patients were taken out carefully and effectively. When the last patient was wheeled out, she turned back to Charles, who was standing by the piano watching her.

At first she didn't know what to say. She had to scrape up some words, somehow. "Well," she began, "who knew the well-mannered and reserved Charles Carson had that in him?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

Charles laughed and replied, "Not many people, and I'd like to keep it that way," he said, "for fear of my reputation being completely ruined."

"Oh, I don't think it ever could," Elsie said, walking closer to Charles. "That was wonderful, Charles. You were wonderful," she said, looking straight into his eyes so he knew she was being completely genuine. She went to reach out to touch his arm as she said it, but she pulled back at the last second, not sure whether it would be welcome or not.

"Please," Charles reached and took her hand as it retreated. "Please don't do that," he put her hand where she had originally intended for it to be, resting it on his arm above his elbow.

Elsie hesitated for a moment, first looking at her hand and then back up to Charles. "I don't know what to do here, Charles," she said. "I'm so confused, with all your mixed signals," she said, taking her hand away and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know," he whispered. Then louder he said, "I know, and I'm so sorry. It's me, Elsie. It's not you. It's my fault and I need to clear it up for you. I tried calling numerous times, then I hoped to talk to you at quiz night," he stopped for a moment. "I had to find a way to get your attention to let you know that this is all because of me," he said, trying to explain himself.

Elsie thought for a moment, then said, "Is this the classic 'It's me not you speech' but I'd like to be friends?" Elsie asked, looking away.

Charles reached out and put his hands on Elsie's elbows. He squeezed a little bit to get her to look at him. When she did, he said, "Yes, but not the way you think, Elsie. It's you. It's always been you," he began. "I have been in love with you from the moment we met. But there are things you need to know about me, things I don't share with anyone, and that is why I have been holding back. But if you'll let me," he hesitated for a moment,taking a deep breath, "If you'll give me some of your time, I'd like to tell you. To show you," he said, imploring her with his eyes.

Elsie wasn't sure what Charles was alluding to, but she knew she had to give him a chance. She wanted to so badly that it hurt. She nodded her head slightly then said, "Okay." She barely got the word out before Charles was pulling her into a hug and squeezing her tight.

"Whoa, Charles," she said, pulling back. "We are in the foyer of my workplace," she said, laughing.

"Oh, right, sorry," he said, releasing his hold a bit, although reluctantly. Elsie hesitated a moment.

"Listen" she said, "I can leave here by five thirty after my rounds. Why don't you come to my flat tonight? We can order a take away and talk. How does that sound?" she asked.

"It sounds perfect," Charles replied. "I'll bring the takeaway with me." Elsie nodded and turned to walk away. Before she did, she leaned up and brushed her lips against Charles' cheek ever so lightly.

"See you soon, Charlie," she said, and walked away with a smirk on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, I couldn't leave you hanging for too long, so here is the next chapter. TW for scenes from battle and combat. If you were wondering where the M rating was coming from...here you go. I hope you like where this is going...please let me know what you think. I apologize for any typos...it's late, and I didn't have it in me to revise before publishing. Thanks for all your reviews and support thus far! **

Elsie made sure that she spent an ample amount of time with her patients and was as thorough as possible, but when she was finished, she didn't hand around doing research or busying herself as she had been the rest of the week. She quickly gathered her things into her work bag, got into her car, and hurried home. She wanted to make sure her flat was picked up and that she had enough time to change out of her work clothes and into something a bit nicer. She freshened up in the bathroom and walked into her closet. She had no idea how to choose what to wear. It wasn't a date, they weren't going out, but she couldn't wear lounge clothes. She looked around considering what to wear when a little voice in her head said _he told you he was in love with you._

Elsie's eyes popped open at that revelation. Of course she kept going back to their interaction throughout the day, daydreaming about it as she walked the halls of the hospital, but she was thinking about Charles' handsome face, his deep voice, the way he was with the children. She had been caught out a couple times by her co-workers and they had to snap her back into reality, but as she was standing in her underwear in her closet, the revelation hit. _He told you he was in love with you_, her inner voice told her again.

"Shit," Elsie said out loud, her stomach dropping. She proceeded to gnaw on her bottom lip, a habit she had since she was a child when she got nervous. She knew she was in love with Charles Carson, too, and whatever he was going to tell her tonight wouldn't change that, but when she really thought about the fact that he loved her too, admittedly throwing it out in the open, it was overwhelming for her. It was something she had hoped for for so long now, and the fact that her innermost dreams were coming to fruition sent a wave of nervous energy through her. She tried to shake herself out a bit, telling herself there was nothing to be nervous about. They were two grown adults who were about to embark on a wonderful journey, in her mind.

She stood in front of her full length mirror and assessed her body. She had never considered herself unfit, by any means. She tried to get to the gym when she could, when she wasn't at the hospital or the charity shop. Lord knows, walking around the hospital all day definitely helped to keep her fit. She wasn't as toned as she'd like to be, she knew that. She took her hand and rubbed it over the scar in the center of her chest. It had faded over time, but the scar was still there, prevalent and obvious. It was a part of her, who she was, and she hoped it didn't deter him. She lifted her arms up and waved them, then put her hands on her hips. She turned left, then right, then looked at her backside. Would he like the shape of her breasts? Was she too curvy in the hips? She took a deep breath and said, "Oh, fuck it!" and walked away from the mirror. "It is what it is, no turning back now," she said to herself, picking out her favorite pair of jeans, a camisole, and a cardigan that accentuated her breasts just right. She figured that they may as well start their relationship out right...in comfort and with no pretenses, so casual it was.

* * *

When Charles got to her door, he tried to balance the take away and the flowers her brought in order to ring the bell. He did so and waited nervously for her to answer the door. When she did, it was with a big smile and a soft hello. She was dressed casually, which he was thankful for, and seeing her at ease made him feel the slightest bit better.

"Hello," Charles greeted her. "I brought these for you," he said as he handed her the bouquet of orange roses and alstroemeria, accentuated by yellow lilies, pink asters, miniature gerberas and green chrysanthemums. It was a beautiful array of flowers.

"Charles, they're beautiful," Elsie said, taking them. "Thank you," she smiled softly, turning and welcoming him in. She led him to the kitchen where she had a table laid with plates, cutlery, and wine glasses. "Make yourself comfortable," she said as she busied herself with filling a vase for the flowers and arranging them.

Charles took the food out and spread it on the table. "I wasn't sure what to get," he began, her back to him at the counter, "so I figured I couldn't go wrong with a good curry," he said, hoping for a positive reply.

"And you'd be right as long as it's vegetarian," Elsie said, turning to look at him.

Oh shit, he thought. He already messed up. He tried to explain, "I, uh, um, Elsie," he hesitated, thinking back to the times they shared meals together, "when did you become vegetarian?" he asked nervously.

Elsie smirked, a sly look on her face. "I didn't, but I did break the ice, didn't I?" she asked, giggling, a spark in her eyes.

Charles couldn't help but laugh along with her and admire how beautiful she looked when she was happy. He wished he could just scoop her into his arms right then and kiss her senseless.

"Shall we?" Elsie asked as she walked over to the table.

They made small talk as they ate, Elsie talking about a few of her patients and telling Charles how much they enjoyed his show. She asked Charles about work and where he would be flying to in the upcoming weeks. They discussed their friends and what everyone's plans were for the upcoming holiday. As they finished eating, Elsie stood up and said, "Okay, Charlie," she smiled sweetly, "as much as I enjoy having dinner with you and hearing about your life, we need to get to the serious stuff, don't you agree?" she asked, picking up their plates and walking them over to the sink. Charles wiped his mouth with his napkin, stood up, and brought their wine glasses to the counter.

"Perhaps just a little more of this?" he asked, pointing to the wine.

"I'd say a lot, with the look on your face," Elsie responded, picking the bottle up and filling their glasses with what was left in it. "I'll leave the cleaning up for later," she said, handing him his glass. "Let's go sit in the lounge where it is more comfortable," she said, turning to walk into her lounge and sitting on one end of the couch. Charles stood for a minute and Elsie said, "sit down, Charlie, I don't bite."

Charles laughed at that, then sat on the other end of the couch, angling his body towards Elsie so they were facing each other. He took a sip...more like a gulp...of his wine, and looked at Elsie. She could tell he was nervous and was going to let him go at his own pace. She also took a sip of her wine and just waited.

Charles cleared his throat and decided it was now or never. "I first want to start by telling you that the moment I met you, when Cora invited you to their Christmas party and you came in, making a scene, slipping on the floor and your packages falling...the moment I took your hand to pull you up and I looked in your eyes, I fell in love with you that instant," he said, his face getting red. He looked down at his hand. "When my hand touched yours, I felt something I had never felt before. Some kind of spark," he said, looking back up to Elsie.

She smiled softly at the memory. "I felt it too," she said softly. She reached her hand across and touched Charles' hand. "Like that?" she asked, feeling the warmth of his hand on hers. He simply nodded. She smiled broadly, then said, "I also felt the most embarrassed I think I have ever felt in my whole life!" They both laughed together for a moment until she said, "until last week, after the wedding…" she looked up, a pained expression on her face.

Charles got serious again. "When I got to know you and we spent time together," he said, "every time I was with you I grew to love you more," he said, pausing for a moment. He smiled endearingly. "I wanted you to know that first," he said. "Because what I'm about to tell you, to show you," he hesitated, "it's repulsive," he said quickly and continued, "and because I love you, I will understand if you can't do this," he looked her right in the eyes as he said it.

"Charles...," Elsie tried to interject, but Charles was determined to get it all out.

"No, please," he interrupted, "I want to get through this without you saying anything. Without you," he hesitated, "without you saying words I've been longing to hear because they may change after, well…" he paused again, looking at Elsie. She nodded her head and took another sip of her wine as she waited for him to continue. "As you know, I was in the RAF during our conflict with Iraq and Afghanistan," he began. Elsie nodded her head again, encouraging him to continue.

And he did, telling her everything. "I saw horrible things over there. Things no person should ever see." As he continued his story, he took sips of his wine, giving himself liquid courage. "One particular day, we were piloting a rescue mission. Several units were stuck in the foothills, along with the Americans, and they were nearly surrounded. They were ambushed, and several were injured. I was the co-pilot that day, the pilot outranking me, and when we flew the chopper in, I had a good view of the land. I don't know how I noticed it, but I saw a large homemade bomb on the other side of an abandoned tank," he took another sip. He looked at Elsie to make sure she could handle the rest of the story. She reached her hand out and placed it on Charles' leg, silently encouraging him to continue. "I wasn't supposed to leave the chopper, but our messages to the command officer weren't going through. So, when we landed, I jumped out and ran to where the bomb was," he continued, taking a deep breath. "I didn't pay attention to anything else, I just knew that if that bomb exploded, hundreds of our men would be injured, or killed. I started defusing the bomb, pulling it apart, but not before I was noticed by the enemy. Just as I released the last wire from the ignition point , they started shooting at me. I got up to run for cover, but they hit me in my side. I didn't realize when I was defusing the bomb that they had poured some kind of accelerant, gasoline or some such around the area, but when the bullet hit me, a fire broke out all over, including on me. I ran as far as I could, but the heat and flames inhibited me, and I finally collapsed." Charles felt Elsie take his hand as he continued. He couldn't look at her as he finished. "Luckily, some of our men were able to get to me in time and put the fire out, but not before it did tremendous damage to my skin, to my body," he said, finally looking back to Elsie to gauge her reaction.

"Oh, Charles," Elsie said, squeezing his hand.

Charles wanted to continue to get it all out. "So you see," he started, a break in his voice, "I'm not a whole man, Elsie," he said, looking away. He put his wine glass on the side table and put his elbows on his knees, staring forward. The loss of contact with Elsie was almost painful, but he knew he had to say the rest on his own, for fear that she would pull away. "My body is damaged and ruined. I've had numerous surgeries to try to fix my skin, and they have done wonders, but it will never be normal, and it is repulsive. You deserve so much more than a damaged man. I'm not good enough for you," he said, taking a deep breath and finally coming up with the courage to look at her. She had tears in her eyes and one dropped as she blinked.

When Elsie took it all in, she knew that nothing she said would reassure Charles. She chided herself inwardly for fretting over her body earlier. She thought briefly about being too forward or risque, but she knew in her heart that she loved him. Even more so now that he opened up to her and told her what he was holding back. It made sense to her now why he pulled back before. She has just grazed his skin and it shocked him out of his reverie. If he was going to believe he could be loved, she had to show him. She stood up from the couch and put her hand out to him. "Come," she said as he looked up at her.

"But I," he began.

"Shhhh," Elsie said, placing her finger to Charles' lips. He stopped talking, confused as to what Elsie was doing. "Come," she said again, waiting for him to take her hand. When he did, she helped pull him up and led him to her bedroom. She pulled him through the doorway and walked over to her dresser that had a mirror attached. Then she faced him. She looked him straight in the eye and started to unbutton her cardigan. When she finished, she pulled it off and let it fall to the floor. "Your turn," she said to Charles.

"But…" Charles began, but Elsie stifled him.

"Your turn," she said pointedly, not taking her eyes off of him. He took a deep breath, hesitating. When he said he was coming to talk tonight, this was not what he expected. He thought maybe she would ask questions, want to talk things through, perhaps go on a few dates to see if she really could love him, but this? Was he ready to bare all? As he was thinking, Elsie stepped closer to him and began unbuttoning his shirt. He stood there, letting her. When all of the buttons were undone, she stepped back, waiting for him. He took his shirt off and let it fall to the floor. Next, Elsie unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her legs, kicking them to the side. When she finished, she stood up and looked at Charles, imploring him to do the same. He proceeded to unbutton his pants and take them off as well. They stood there, staring at each other, each drinking in the other's body.

After a moment, Elsie reached up and pulled her cardigan over her head, again throwing it to the ground. She was hoping Charles would take his vest off next, but he hesitated, and then took off his socks. Elsie smirked and knew she would have to bare all to ease Charles' tension. When he stood back up with a smirk on his face, Elsie reached back and unclipped her bra. When it was loose, she pulled it down her arms, and put it on the floor. She looked back at Charles and noticed his face flush. She waited patiently.

For Charles, he could barely stand because the most perfect sight in the world was standing not two feet away from him. He felt the stirrings of an erection in his groin, unable to keep it at bay. He wanted desperately to reach out and touch her. To hold her breasts in his hands and to kiss her lips. But he hesitated, knowing what she was waiting for. As he was thinking about it, she softly said, "Show me." He waited for a moment, a sick feeling in his stomach, and then she said, "please." He looked her in the eyes and could see the kindness there, the love. With a deep breath, he pulled his vest off and put it on the floor. He watched Elsie's face as she looked at him, took him in. He was watching for a look of repulsion, disgust. But there wasn't one.

Elsie proceeded to reach out and place her hand on Charles' side, right on top of his mangled torso. Her fingers were so soft as she trailed them up and down his scars. Charles closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. As his eyes were closed, he felt Elsie's soft lips on his torso and his eyes shot open. Not only was she touching him, but she was kissing him where he thought no other person would ever lay their eyes again. Her lips were like a healing elixir. Where he usually felt pain, he felt her tender touch she stood up, placing her left hand where his heart would be and she walked around his body, standing behind him. She gently rubbed her left hand up and down his mangled skin, and she placed her lips upon his broad shoulders. She continued to rub soft circles up and down his injured skin, and placed gentle kisses along his back. She then placed her right arm around his body, pulling him closer to her and put her left hand on his heart again. She turned her face and put her cheek against his shoulder blade, pulling him tight against her.

They stayed like that for a moment, and then Elsie said softly, "Look up in the mirror Charles." The feeling of her skin against his was absolute heaven to him. He did what she asked and looked up. What he saw was a damaged man embraced by the woman he loved. He couldn't help it, and tears began to fall. He had wanted this for so long, but he told himself it was never going to happen. He couldn't put into words what he was feeling at that moment. "I love you Charles Carson," Elsie said. She spoke so softly, yet in a direct and determined manner. "From the moment I met you, when you rescued me from being embarrassed in front of everyone when I fell. When you took my hand and pulled me up, from the moment our skin touched, I, too, knew that we had a connection," she stopped for a moment, lifting her head and moving back in front of him, wanting to look into his eyes as she spoke. "If you think that I am so shallow to be turned off by your body, you are absolutely ridiculous," she said pointedly. "What I see before me is a strong, sexy man who risked his life to save hundreds of others. You are absolutely gorgeous to me, and I have never been so turned on by anyone before," she said, reaching out to touch his arm. "You're a hero, Charles," she said. "My hero, and I am so honored that you would choose me to open up to, to share your story, and to show me your true self," she said, stepping closer.

At that moment, Charles couldn't control himself any longer. How he got so lucky to have Elsie Hughes bared in front of him, revealing all of herself, he would never understand. And for her to make him feel normal, for him to feel even the slightest bit desirable, well, he would worship her until the end of time. "Elsie," he whispered, reaching out and pulling her to him.

At first their kisses were soft and sweet, him wanting to pour all of his love into her, but as their desire grew, so did the intensity. Their arms were wrapped around each other, each of them navigating the other's body and starting to learn each other's skin. At one point Charles was softly kissing Elsie's neck and she reached down to pull his shorts off. She pushed them down his legs and proceeded to gently touch his erection. At the feel of her soft touch he jumped a bit from the wonderful sensation. She gently guided her hand up and down, feeling all of him. At first, Charles couldn't move, but when he got his bearings back, he took gently hold of her panties and guided them down her legs.

Everything Elsie touched felt heavenly. He couldn't believe that his journey here tonight brought him to where he was now, standing in Elsie Hughes' bedroom, declaring their love for each other, and sharing every intimate part of themselves. He wasn't going to question it, however, he was going to enjoy it and commit every single second to memory.

As they kissed and touched each other, Charles turned Elsie slightly and guided her toward her bed. He helped her to lie down, and then proceeded to lay next to her. The gentle glow of the lamp on her dresser allowed him to see the exquisite sight in front of him. Before he proceeded, he asked, "Elsie, are you sure-" before he could continue, she put her finger to his lips and then kissed him.

She didn't answer him in words, but in actions. She pulled his head down, mingling her tongue with his and holding him as close as she could. To her, having Charles Carson with her in this manner was as close to perfection as she would ever be. She had to have him, all of him, and she communicated that by pulling him on top of her and opening her legs. Charles followed along seamlessly, as if their bodies already understood each other.

They continued to kiss passionately and navigate each other's bodies with their hands. When Charles couldn't take it anymore, and when he sensed Elsie felt the same, he pushed up on his arms and looked at her, straight in her eyes. "I love you," he said, quietly but directly.

Elsie smiled like she had never smiled before. "And I love you, Charlie, my beautiful, sexy, strong man," she said, reaching up to kiss him again. As their lips met, so did their bodies. Charles entered her slowly, both of them moaning in ecstasy. When he felt he had fully entered her he stopped and made sure she was okay. He looked at her, his arms wrapped around her body holding her closely, and realized that hers were holding him just as tightly. They began to move together in a dance that was so new and invigorating, yet so familiar as if they fit perfectly together. To both, it was complete heaven. Ecstasy.

Elsie had never felt so wonderful in all her life. If this was what love was, she was all in, all the time. She knew she loved Charles, but after he revealed himself to her, she loved him even more. And the way he was making her feel right now, ahhhh...she'd give everything up just to feel this way forever. As she was thinking that, Charles pulled her leg up just a little, and the new angle created sensations in her she never knew existed. He continued to thrust inside her, and the intensity was overwhelming. Elsie cried out, yelling his name, "Charlie," she said, pulling him closer and holding on tightly to him. At the sound of his name coming from her lips, Charles couldn't hold out any longer. One more thrust and he joined in her cadence, her name coming from his lips with such joy. "Elsie," he said, as if it was a prayer on his tongue, a breath of life from his lips.


	10. Chapter 10

**I can't thank you enough for your reviews and reaction to this story. I was hesitant to jump back in to the fanfic world, but I'm so glad I did. This is mostly just fluff. I hope you like it! Thanks to CSotA for cracking me up in your review, to the guests who have taken the time to review, especially the one who acknowledged that it isn't the norm, I really appreciate that! You are all so awesome...all of you...Chelsietx, misszenobell, Good Bo, LC aka LC, Louise 725, Helenka26, Pixie-jd, deeedeee, Longlivequeenvic, joaniefan, Lmc445, ProfessorMMAD...you all rock! Thank you!**

They laid in her bed, resting on their sides in the dim light, looking at each other. Each had a soft smile on their face, elated at what just transpired between them. Their legs were tangled together and Charles' hand rested on Elsie's hip. "Your turn," he said in a near whisper.

Elsie scrunched up her forehead in confusion. "My turn for what?" she asked. Charles reached his hand up between them and gently traced his fingers over the scar between Elsie's breasts, splaying his hand out and resting it there.

"Ah," Elsie nodded in understanding. She smiled a soft, sweet smile before she began. "I was born with a congenital heart defect," she began. Charles' eyes got big, and a worried look overtook his face. Elsie continued. "The doctors missed it when I was born, diagnosing me with a heart murmur and expecting it to go away. But when I was five and just starting school, I was running around with my sister at our farm. My parents were putting the horses away and when my mother came out, she saw me collapse. I could barely breathe and I guess my lips were blue," she said. Charles stayed quiet and listened intently. "So," Elsie continued, "they rushed me to the hospital and after various tests, they realized that I had a congenital mitral valve anomaly and I needed a mitral valve repair. My parents took me to Edinburgh to a better hospital, just to be sure, and when it was confirmed, I had surgery the next day," Elsie finished, looking at Charles.

He seemed worried, and then asked, "And now? Are you okay now?"

Elsie laughed at that. "What do you think?" she asked, looking up and down his body, alluding to the intimacy they had just shared, lifting her eyebrows for effect.

Charles laughed at first, and then leaned up on his elbow, looking down at Elsie. "I think," he said, leaning down to kiss her softly, "that you are absolutely perfect," he said as he leaned down to kiss the scar between her breasts. He kissed the length of it, from top to bottom and back up again. When he reached the top, he lifted his lips to hers and kissed them passionately, then he pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose. "Perfect," he said again.

Elsie giggled. "I'm hardly that, and I dinnae think you'll continue to think that way as time goes on," she said, smiling.

Charles put on a serious face, saying, "Oh, I will," and kissed her again. Then, he lay back down and asked, "What about now? Do you have to do anything for your heart now?"

"Yes," she began, "it must be treated with TLC and great amounts of love and affection,"she said, smirking. Charles laughed at her sass, then Elsie shook her head. "Nothing too serious," she said. "I have to have both an EKG and an echocardiogram once a year to make sure everything is still fighting fit in there, but otherwise, no limitations." She paused a moment and then said, "there is a possibility that as I get older, I could possibly need a valve transplant, but if I stay healthy and exercise regularly, then those odds go way down," she continued. "And my cardiologist is a great friend and she keeps up with making sure I stay on the up-and-up," she said. "You know, it's the reason I became a doctor," Elsie finished, smiling and looking at Charles.

"Really?" he asked. He wanted to know everything about her.

"Aye," she said, nodding her head. "I remember everything explicitly, and I just saw how the work of the doctors saved my life. I was fascinated by everything in the hospital. My mam said I asked questions constantly," Elsie laughed. "It helped that my paediatric cardiologist was not only fabulous at his job, but he was great with people. He just had a knack for making everyone around him feel comfortable and at ease. You know, most children are frightened of going to the doctor's, but when I had my check-ups with him, I would count down the days because I couldn't wait to see him," she explained. "And so I realized young that I wanted to be like that for children...first I wanted to be a part of healing them, but I also wanted to make their experience as minimally traumatic as possible," she said, tilting her head to the side and shrugging her shoulders.

Charles smiled at her. "And you do," he said with conviction. "You absolutely do." Elsie looked at him questioningly. "I have seen you with them, don't forget," Charles said. "Those children absolutely adore you, Dr. Hoos," he said, and Elsie laughed out loud. Hearing that sound was music to his ears. "I love that," he said softly, his eyes blazing into hers.

"What?" she asked, wondering what he meant.

"Your laugh," he said, leaning up again. "It will be my life's endeavor to make sure you do that every day," he said, leaning down to kiss her again. She took hold of his shoulders and pulled him closer, engaging his lips and tongue in a long, passionate kiss, Elsie's fingers weaving into Charles' hair.

When they parted to catch their breath, Elsie pulled back just enough to look Charles in the eyes and whispered, "Is that a promise?"

"Only the first of many," Charles replied, leaning down to kiss her again.

* * *

When she woke to her alarm, she felt the emptiness immediately. She started to sit up, and that's when she saw it. One of the orange roses from her bouquet he gave her last night laid on the pillow next to her with a note underneath. She reached for the paper and opened it up.

_Elsie,_

_I will never forget this night for as long as I live. It was perfect, and so are you. I'm sorry I couldn't stay...I have an early flight. I would love to take you out on a real date, if you'll let me, to continue learning about each other. Perhaps dinner tonight? I'll call you later to see if that is conducive to your schedule. Until then, I will miss you with each passing minute. Have a great day. _

_Love,_

_Your Charlie_

She smiled when she finished reading it picking up the rose and smelling it's fragrance. She then laid her head down on the pillow he used last night, and she could smell his scent lingering there. She wasn't sure she would wash that pillowcase for a while, enjoying having a part of him still in her bed. _Gosh, you sound like a pathetic teenager,_ she said to herself. _Better yet, _she thought, _perhaps she would have him in her bed again soon so she wouldn't have to worry about it._ She lay in bed for a bit longer, recounting the events from the previous evening. If anyone had seen Elsie Hughes in those early morning moments, they would see her with the biggest smile she had had on her face in a very long time.

* * *

He didn't want to leave her, but he had to. He hadn't had the opportunity to tell her everything, and he would never regret that by taking back what they shared, but before he stayed with her all night, she had to know the possibilities of what that could mean. He hadn't had one of his dreams, more like nightmares, in a while, but there was no telling when one might occur. He had to explain it to her just in case.

He drove back to his house and got a couple hours of sleep before he had to be up and out for his flight. When he got up to leave her, he watched her for a few minutes, and the image of her beautiful, peaceful form stayed with him...as he drove to the airport...as he started the plane and checked all of the necessary components... as he lifted off into flight. He couldn't get her beautiful face out of his mind. He had never felt this way before about anyone. Even more, no one had ever made him feel the way he did last night...both physically and emotionally. He chided himself for waiting so long. For letting all of his inadequacies and fears take over and hinder him from acting on what he now knew was meant to be. The way their bodies moved together, as if they had known each other for years, yet with such invigorating passion that he lost all sense of control. The way she looked at him, with such desire and intensity. The fact that she said she loved him. He couldn't help the feeling that his heart was going to explode.

"Cap," John said, breaking him out of his Elsie-infused transe. He looked over to John. "We're all loaded up and ready to go. Do you want to make the announcements to the passengers?" he asked, knowing that it was the job of the captain to do so.

"Sorry," Charles said, turning the intercom on to the rest of the aircraft. John just smirked and shook his head a bit. Anna had told him about Charles' performance yesterday, and based on the fact that his very professional and focused Captain kept daydreaming, he was assuming things went very well after.

* * *

"Hello," Elsie said, taking her phone out and answering it as she was walking to the parking garage from the hospital.

"Hello, beautiful," the other voice on the line said. She felt an instant warmth between her legs and her heart hitched at the deep, delicious sound of Charles' voice.

"Well hello there," she responded, pressing the button on her key fob and getting into her car. She put her bag on the passenger seat and waited to start the car. "How are you?" she asked.

"Oh, I think it is safe to say that I am wonderful," he said truthfully. "How was your day?" he asked. "Are you still at work?"

"It was good," she responded. "I actually just got in my car to go home," she said. "And yours? I didn't expect to hear from you so soon."

"Ah, just a flight to and from Ireland today," he said. "Nothing like Dubai with stay-overs or anything," he explained.

"Ah-ha," she said, putting her seatbelt on and starting the car. Her car immediately hooked up to her bluetooth and she could hear him over the speaker. She pulled out of her spot and began to drive home.

"Sooooo," Charles said, "it was very difficult leaving you last night." Elsie giggled.

"Well," she said, "I would have preferred to wake up with you next to me, but the flower was a nice touch," she said, making him smile.

After a brief pause, he continued. "I want to take you on a proper date," he said. "I know we've known each other for quite some time, and we," he cleared his throat, "well, we, you know…" he said, almost embarrassed to say it out loud.

_Mr. Proper_ she thought, rolling her eyes endearingly. "We what, Charlie?" she asked. "Made love? Had sex? Fu-"

"ELSIE!" he said, shocked at her outward deliberateness to embarrass him. He could feel his face getting bright red.

She laughed heartily. "What, Charlie?" she asked. "We are two grown adults who shared a wonderful night together last night. We certainly can talk about it. So, what did we do last night, Charlie?" she said his name, emphasizing the r with her Scottish accent, nearly causing him to get an instant erection. She loved that she was embarrassing him a little. He could be entirely too proper at times, but when discussing their love life she was not going to let him stay buttoned up.

"Made love, Elsie. We made love last night and it was fantastic," he said pointedly, his face getting even more red thinking about it.

Elsie smiled broadly. "Yes we did, Charlie, and I agree, it was fantastic. Now, what were you saying?" she asked. She would be the death of him, he knew it. For all of his propriety and manners, she was his perfect foil, nudging him to loosen up a bit.

"I would like to take you on a proper date, do things right," he continued.

She couldn't help it. "Well, I thought we did things right last night," she said.

God, he wanted her so bad. The fact that she could talk about it so freely, had no inhibitions at all...she amazed him. "Elsie, you know I agree, but I'd like to take you out to dinner, get to know each other more intimately," he said.

"Well," she began, "last night was about the most intimate we could get, but…"

"ELSIE!" she was laughing uncontrollably.

"Charles, you are making this way too easy, you know?" she loved making him come undone. She couldn't wait to do it again when they were sans clothing.

"Yes, yes, I see that now. Taking advantage of me while I'm nervous, what kind of woman are you?" he asked, shaking his head and smiling.

She decided to put him out of his misery. "Oh, you'll find out more about what kind of woman I am when we get together to do things right and learn about each other more intimately," she laughed, continuing. "Yes, Charlie, of course I'll go to dinner with you. What time are you picking me up?" she asked.

"I'll be there at seven, you incorrigible woman," he said, laughing as she said goodbye.

He loved the way she kept him on his toes and joked with him. If this was a taste of what was to come with her in the future, he couldn't wait...


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews, follows and favorites. I hit a roadblock for a bit, but I think I'm happy with how this next chapter turned out. Thanks to deeedeee for her insight on writing craft. I hope I tweaked things the way you said. Please let me know what you all think. TW for PTSD talk and there is an M scene at the end. **

"You look positively radiant," he said as she opened the menu that was laid in front of her.

She looked up at him, a soft smile on her face. "Why thank you," she said, blushing. She had worn a gold skirt with a black sheer overlay that had black flowers etched into it. She accompanied it with a gold shimmery blouse and smooth leather jacket. Her long hair was down, flowing over her shoulders.

"I'm glad I can finally say these things out loud to you, to be honest," he said, holding her gaze. "You don't know how many times I've wanted to say something to you like that," he continued. "Because you are absolutely stunning, Elsie," he finished, a shy smile on his face.

Elsie took a deep breath and said, "Well, I would have liked to hear them then, as I am now," she said, smiling back.

"I shall make up for my stupidity in due time, I assure you," he said, laughing, and Elsie joined in.

They took some time to look over their menus discussing certain dishes, Elsie allowing Charles to choose a bottle of wine for them to share.

After the wine was poured, Elsie lifted her glass and said, "A toast."

Charles lifted his as well. "And what are we toasting to?"

Elsie smirked. "To new beginnings between old friends." Charles repeated her phrase, a twinkle in his eye, and clinked his glass against hers, both of them taking sips of their wine and relishing the flavor.

"Now, since we are doing things properly, as you said," Elsie began, "I would like to ask you some questions, Charles," she said, looking pointedly at him.

"Ask away," he said, leaning back in his chair, waiting for her to begin.

* * *

The next two hours were spent with the two of them getting to know each other, talking over a fabulous meal about their childhoods, families, interests, and simply enjoying being in each other's presence. As their time at the restaurant was ending, Charles reached his hand across the table and put it on top of Elsie's. "I was thinking," he said, "perhaps we would walk along the water for a bit, maybe get a coffee or tea?" Elsie simply nodded her head, thrilled that he wanted to continue their time together.

After procuring their tea, they walked towards the water. Charles reached out and took Elsie's hand, she turning her head towards him and smiling softly, as if it was a natural occurrence. Once they had walked for a bit, passing a variety of stalls and perusing the merchandise, Charles spotted a bench by the water.

"Shall we sit for a moment?" he asked. Elsie could tell that there was something Charles wasn't telling her, and she was trying to be patient. By his mannerisms and nervous actions, she knew it was something that worried him. He gestured for her to sit first and then sat down next to her, leaving a bit of space so that he could turn to face her. He put his elbows on his knees and took a deep breath. "Beautiful night tonight, isn't it?" he asked, trying to delay the inevitable.

Elsie knew she had to put him at ease. "Charlie," she said, reaching out and gently rubbing her fingers against his temple and through his hair, "what is it? I know you want to tell me something," she hesitated, putting her hand on his shoulder. "And my guess," she started, "is that it has to do with why you lied to me about your early flight today." Charles looked at her with wide eyes. How did she know? Before he could ask the question, Elsie said, "Anna." A look of understanding washed over his face. "It was just in conversation. I wasn't snooping. She happened to mention that John was your co-pilot today,where you were going, what time you left…"

Charles simply nodded and took another deep breath. "I'm sorry," he began. Elsie squeezed his shoulder and then took her hand back, folding it with the other in her lap, waiting patiently. "I'm afraid what I'm going to tell you will make you change your mind, and it terrifies me. Especially after what we shared last night...I've never felt this way, Elsie," he looked up into her eyes, "and I don't want to lose you."

Elsie shook her head. "Well, since you brought it up, I would hope that after what we shared last night, you'd realize that you're not going to lose me," she paused for a moment. "Charles, I realize that what you went through was traumatic, and that you have harbored these feelings of, of," she was looking for the right word, "self-loathing for a long time," she paused, making sure he was looking at her. "But I remember telling you I love you last night," she said, waiting. "I don't say that easily, you know, not even just to get you in the sack," she said, trying to elicit a laugh, of which she was successful. When she was sure Charles understood, she said, "Okay, out with it. I'm ready, and so are you, Charles Carson." She turned her body more towards him so he could fully see her face and gauge her emotions.

"Well," he began, "I told you what happened to my body last night, but I didn't tell you what happened to my mind," he said, looking up into her eyes. She simply nodded. "I have dreams-well, er-more like nightmares," he took a deep breath. "They were horrible in the beginning, and I had them much more often. I used to see someone for them...talk them through. It was mandated by the RAF and honestly, it helped a lot. I don't get them very often these days, to be honest. I've worked through things so much that they are very sporadic. I haven't had one in over a year, but...but…"

Elsie reached out and took his hand, kissing the back of it. "But you were afraid of staying just in case," she finished for him. He nodded. "Charlie," she began, "of course after such a traumatic event you are going to have repercussions, whatever they may be. You've had your fair share and then a hell of a lot more, I'd say." She waited for a moment for him to get his bearings. "What happens?" she asked. In her rotations for medical school, she had done a stint in psychology. She knew that PTSD could come in all shapes and sizes, from minimal to extensive. She wanted to know the extent of his nightmares and what to expect.

Charles shrugged and then said, "I shake, sweat. Sometimes I wake myself up by falling out of bed. In the beginning I woke up a couple times huddled in my closet or in the corner. They have subsided over the years. I'd like to say they are gone, but I don't know for certain. This is the longest I've gone without having one," he explained. "I'm just...I'm just…"

"Worried about how they'll affect me?" she finished for him.

"How do you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" she responded, confused.

"Know what I'm going to say before I do…" he answered, looking at her endearingly.

She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her eyebrows, then smirked. She wanted to answer his question to reassure him. "Of course they'll affect me, Charles." He was visibly deflated by her response. "You're not understanding me," she said, waiting for him to look at her. She reached over and took his hands. "If we are going to do this...be together...partners, date, whatever we call it, then that means we are pledging to be there for one another, whether it is through something joyous and wonderful or through something tough. Listen,"she began, "I've waited long enough for this to happen," she said, pointing her index finger between the two of them back and forth. "Nearly ten years, to be exact, if we are going from the first time we met at Robert and Cora's Christmas party. I'm not going to let this get in the way of something wonderful. We're none of us perfect, Charles, least of all me." He scoffed at that. "Consider me suitably informed, if you will, and eagerly anticipating our future adventures," she finished.

Charles reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, rubbing it softly. He then leaned in and placed his lips on hers, slowly kissing her. Her soft, low moan reverberated on his lips and propelled him to kiss her more fervently. They were caught up in the moment and they didn't hear the footsteps of the people who were approaching on the footpath next to the water.

"Well I'll be!" at the sound of the familiar voice, Charles and Elsie broke apart quickly, both turning a bright shade of red. "No wonder you haven't called me to get together for that tea. You're too busy sticking your tongue down Mr. Proper's throat here," Beryl said, eyes wide looking back and forth between the two. Charles immediately stood, looking from Beryl to Bill, while Elsie sat back, crossed her arms and legs and gave Beryl a pointed look.

"You know, that's not a very nice way to say hello," Elsie said. She then turned to Bill, stood up, and leaned in to hug him. "Hello Bill," she said. He hugged her back, saying hello.

"Well," Beryl said, her hand on her hip, "you could have at least called, you know?"

Elsie nodded. "You're right, and I apologize," she said. "Will you both excuse us for a moment?" she asked Bill and Charles. She grabbed Beryl by the hand and walked further down the footpath. "Seriously, Bee, what the hell?" she said to her, facing her friend.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. It's just, well, when I saw you I said the first thing that came to mind. I was excited and mad at the same time and you know how I get, opening my big mouth before I should," she explained. Elsie stood with her arms crossed. "Oh, love," Beryl said, "you are positively glowing, despite the cross look on your face right now. Tell me what's going on?"

Elsie hesitated. "I don't really know," she began. "We are trying to make sense of it all right now," she explained. "Until we were so rudely interrupted!" she said. Beryl shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "What I can tell you is that I have loved him for a long time, and he has finally admitted the same," she said, smiling softly. "Where we go from here, I don't know, I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we move along," she said.

Beryl grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "I am so happy for you, Elsie." She squeezed her tightly. "And it's about damn time, I'll say that much!" They both laughed at that.

When they broke apart from their hug, Else held onto Beryl's arms. "I'd like to keep it between us for now, if you don't mind? Charlie and I need to figure out how we want to tell everyone."

"Charlie?" Beryl said, laughing. "I'd say you are already on your way to being a proper couple if you're already calling him Charlie!" she laughed.

Elsie giggled too. "Indeed. But all the same…"

"Of course, love, of course," Beryl said. They both turned back and walked towards their men.

"Now," Beryl said, "there is a lovely pub just up the way. We need to go have a drink to celebrate and to buy our silence," she laughed, grabbing Bill's arm and leading the way. Elsie looked over to Charles and they both shrugged, took each other's hands and followed along.

* * *

"Elsie, are you sure?" Charles said in between kisses as he made his way with his lips down her neck.

"God yes!" she said, unbuttoning his shirt as she walked backwards toward her bedroom. When she got it undone, she pulled it off her shoulders and threw it on the hallway floor, reaching for his vest and pulling it over his head. Charles had already disposed of her leather jacket and he had just gotten the button of her blouse undone. She took it off over her head and threw it down with the other clothes. Elsie leaned down and took her heels off, Charles doing the same with his shoes, following her to her room. He reached for her and gave her a bruising kiss, backing her up against the wall at the threshold of her room. As he nipped her lower lip, then her earlobe, she caressed his skin along his back and sides.

Charles made his way down her neck to her breasts, licking one of her nipples through her bra. He proceeded to reach around and unhook it while Elsie made quick work undoing his belt and his pants. Once he got he bra undone, he threw it to the floor and began suckling her nipples again. The intense sensation made Elsie throw her head back against the wall and groan in ecstasy. The sound of her moaning was music to Charles' ears and he continued his ministrations. "Oh Charles," Elsie yelled out, "I want you so bad," she said, panting. With that, he picked her up around the waist and Elsie put her legs around his middle.

He walked them over to her bed and gently laid her down. He reached down to relieve himself of his shorts, and then reached to Elsie's panties. He moved his fingers under the waistband and gently pulled them down her legs, kissing her leg along the way. He kissed back up her other leg and found himself right at her center. He looked up to her face and saw nothing but love there. Ever since last night he wanted to taste her. He gently stroked her with his finger first. She bucked her hips at the sensation, moaning aloud. He then gently ran his tongue along her folds, slowly, drawing out her ecstasy and savoring the taste of her. Slowly, he licked her again, drowning in her pleasure. "Please, Charles, I need you now," she said, pulling at his shoulders. He would not deny her.

He crawled up in between her legs and aligned their bodies, then leaned down to kiss her deeply. He wanted her to feel the passion that he had for her. She put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down further. He pulled away and looked her straight in the eyes as he entered her. The sound of their joined pleasure was music to his ears.

"Oh, Elsie," he said, "you feel so good," he moaned as he rocked inside of her.

"Mmmmmmm," she responded almost incoherently. "As do you, my love," she responded. After a few more thrusts, Elsie wrapped her legs around Charles and turned him over, she sitting atop him. Charles' eyes got wide as he looked up at this gorgeous woman astride him. Never before had he seen anything more beautiful. He put his hands on her hips and pushed up into her. She began to move atop him, her hands on his shoulders. She leaned down and kissed him vigorously, placing one of her hands in his hair. Charles leaned up and took one of her breasts in his mouth. At that, Elsie was undone. She couldn't hold herself back. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, biting it in concentrations. "Oh God, Charlie, yes!" she said. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," she yelled. She began to buck uncontrollably and Charles could feel her contracting around him.

He couldn't hold himself back any longer and he yelled along with her. "Oh, Elsie!" They came together in mutual pleasure, panting and trying to catch their breaths. They were still joined when Elsie laid herself down on Charles, he stroking her back slowly as they both came down from their highs. Else lifted her head and kissed Charles softly on his cheek, then nuzzled against his neck.

"Mmmmmmm…" she said. "That was…"

"WOW," Charles finished her thought. Elsie giggled, kissing him again. She leaned up, her arms folded on his chest and looked at him. He had the same satisfied smile on his face that she had on hers.

"WOW indeed," she said, waggling her eyebrows. Charles giggled along with her. Elsie rolled off of him slowly, Charles groaning at the loss of connection. She reached down to pull the sheet up over them, laying her head on his chest and putting her arm around his middle. He placed his arm around her and ran his fingers through her hair.

As they lay comfortably together, Elsie thought about their conversation earlier. She really wanted him to stay, but she didn't want to make him uncomfortable by asking him. Instead, she started laughing. "What is it?" he asked.

"The look on Beryl's face when she caught us snogging on the bench!" she continued to laugh. She could feel Charles' chest rising as he laughed along with her. "She changed her tune quickly, but I'll never forget her look of incredulity."

"Nor will I," Charles added, "or the feeling I got as if I were a schoolboy caught out kissing at recess," he said, laughing.

"How were you at school?" Elsie asked, curious.

"Well, I was head boy, of course," Charles said proudly.

Elsie laughed. "Of course you were!" she said.

"What does that mean?" he asked. She just shook her head. "And you?" he asked. "How were you at school?"

"Oh, I was smart enough, but I had my fair share of sair fechts," she answered. "I tried to keep people from bullying others, so I sometimes found myself getting into quarrels," she said.

"Hmpf, I don't know," Charles said. "Me, head boy, with a troublemaker," he said seriously.

At that remark Elsie slapped him playfully. "Hey," she said. Charles took her by the waist and started to tickle her. She squirmed and turned onto her back, trying to get away.

He turned and leaned over her, leaning down to kiss her softly. "Just kidding. I admire your courage, standing up for others," he said, kissing her again. She smiled sweetly.

As she was gazing into his eyes, she said, "Charles, I know your a bit nervous, but seeing as I don't have to work tomorrow and you don't have any flights, will you stay?" she was hesitant to ask, but she loved lying with him, and tonight was as good a night as any to move to the next level.

He was thoughtful for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He decided a night snuggled up in bed with this gorgeous woman was worth the risk. He hadn't had a nightmare in over a year, and being with the woman he loved surely couldn't hurt. "I will," he said, leaning down and kissing her passionately.

He had never had a better night sleep in as long as he could remember.


End file.
